Del Toro conquers Grand Colombier to take commanding Tour Auvergne victory

Isaac Del Toro delivered another outstanding climbing performance today to take victory atop the iconic Grand Colombier on Stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, taking his first pro win on French soil.

The penultimate stage featured one of the most demanding finales of the race, culminating with the legendary ascent of the Grand Colombier. The day was animated by an early breakaway which included several strong riders, but the battle for the stage victory ultimately came down to the favourites on the final climb.

A key moment came when Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) launched a long-range attack on the lower slopes of the Grand Colombier. The Spaniard built a significant advantage, but Del Toro paced his effort expertly behind. With the support of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, the Mexican gradually reeled in his rival before making the decisive move inside the final two kilometres. Del Toro caught and passed Ayuso with approximately 1.7km remaining before powering clear to the summit for an impressive solo win.

The stage was also marked by misfortune for one of the race’s other leading contenders, Paul Seixas, who suffered a heavy crash with around 93km remaining. Although the Frenchman courageously fought back into the race, the incident impacted his overall ambitions.

For Del Toro, the victory continues a remarkable season which has already included overall wins at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico. The Mexican once again demonstrated his climbing prowess on one of French cycling’s most famous ascents and now heads into the final stage with a strong opportunity to further improve his overall standing.

Isaac Del Toro:

“It was a very hard day and a very hard climb. It’s hard for me to manage these long climbs but I’m adapting and feeling better and better in every race. I really wanted to try and take the win today. The team did an incredible job all stage to keep me in position and control the race. I’m really hungry for the racing and I’m very motivated for everything still to come this season.  To win on a climb like the Grand Colombier is something really special.”

Stage 7 results

1.Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 3:41:41

2.Juan Ayuso (Lidl Trek) +24”

3.Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X) +38”

General Classification after stage 7

1.Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull Bora hansgrohe) 25:59:09

2.Matteo Jorgenson (Visma Lease a Bike) +42”

3.Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +49”