Isaac Del Toro wins Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with double victory

Grand Colombier, France – 13/06/2026: Isaac Del Toro, the 22-year-old Mexican rider from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, won the 7th stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes cycling race with an impressive performance and at the same time secured the overall classification. On the queen stage, starting in La Bridoire and finishing at the summit of the Grand Colombier, he managed to break away and leave behind Juan Ayuso of Team Lidl-Trek, who had attacked early, in the final kilometres. Del Toro reached the finish 24 seconds ahead, making a powerful statement.

The 133.6-kilometre stage, featuring two demanding climbs of the Grand Colombier, was one of the toughest of this year’s edition. Del Toro demonstrated his climbing abilities on the mountainous course and proved his tactical awareness by standing out in the decisive phase of the race. Australian Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) retained his Yellow Jersey, symbolising the lead in the overall classification, despite finishing eleventh. At the end of the stage, Tuckwell was 42 seconds ahead of his pursuer Matteo Jorgenson, while Del Toro stood third overall, 49 seconds behind.

The following day, 14 June 2026, Isaac Del Toro continued his winning streak: on the eighth stage, which finished on the Plateau de Solaison, he once again left his rivals behind and claimed both the stage victory and the overall Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes title. Juan Ayuso finished second, followed by Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) in third place. Overall leader Luke Tuckwell had to surrender the Yellow Jersey and ultimately finished second overall, 54 seconds behind Del Toro.

Isaac Del Toro’s double victory is an important step in his career and underlines his exceptional status as a climber. Shortly before the start of the Tour de France, the young Mexican is showing top form. His ability to strike at crucial moments and continuously extend his advantage makes him one of the most promising candidates for the upcoming major tours. Team analysts and cycling fans are eagerly watching to see how he will continue to develop on the World Tour calendar and whether he can use his strong results at the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes race as a springboard to even greater successes.

Del Toro’s victory at the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes fits into a recent tradition of talented young riders making an impression internationally with their performances. His success, particularly on the mountain stages, shows that his focus is clearly on the major mountain classics and challenging stages in Grand Tour races. Despite the strong competition, the French race provided him with the ideal stage to establish himself as a top climber and prepare for the upcoming season.