Del Toro seals Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes title with second consecutive summit victory

 

 

Isaac Del Toro completed a superb week of racing at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, claiming both the final stage victory and the overall classification after another dominant display in the high mountains on the race-ending summit finish to Plateau de Solaison.

 

The 22-year-old Mexican entered the final day within striking distance of race leader Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull Bora hansgrohe) and would put on a dominant display to claw back the yellow jersey. The 120km finale from Beaufort featured four major climbs and more than 4,000 metres of elevation gain, culminating with the brutal ascent of the Plateau de Solaison, one of the most demanding climbs of the Alps.

 

After winning atop the Grand Colombier on Stage 7, Del Toro and UAE Team Emirates-XRG approached the final stage with clear intent. The team controlled the race throughout the mountainous parcours and arrived at the foot of the final climb with Del Toro well positioned.

 

As the gradients steepened on the upper slopes of Solaison, and a final push of pace from Pablo Torres, Del Toro accelerated clear of his rivals, repeating the climbing display that had earned him victory on the Grand Colombier just 24 hours earlier. The Mexican quickly opened a gap and rode alone to the summit, securing both the stage win and the overall title in emphatic fashion.

 

The result completes an exceptional turnaround after Del Toro entered the final mountain stages more than a minute behind race leader Luke Tuckwell following the huge breakaway that reshaped the general classification on Stage 6. Back-to-back summit victories on the Grand Colombier and Plateau de Solaison ultimately proved decisive as he overturned the deficit to take one of the most prestigious week-long stage races on the calendar.

 

Isaac Del Toro: "This is a very special victory for me and for the whole team. We came into the final weekend believing we could still fight for the race and everybody committed completely to that goal. The team was incredible on the final climb and all the guys worked so hard throughout the week. To win a race like this against such strong competition gives me a lot of confidence.

 

"I've learned a lot this season and now I'm excited for the next challenge. The Tour de France will be something completely new for me, but this result shows that we are moving in the right direction."

 

For Del Toro, the victory adds another major stage-race success to a breakthrough 2026 campaign that has already included overall victories at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico. The Tour Auvergne triumph, achieved on the roads traditionally used as the final proving ground before July, provides another significant marker ahead of what will be the Mexican's first Tour de France appearance next month.