Del Toro crowned champion of UAE Tour in Abu Dhabi

Isaac Del Toro sealed a landmark achievement in his blossoming career, securing overall victory at the UAE Tour and delivering a prestigious home success for UAE Team Emirates-XRG on their home soil.

The Mexican climber confirmed his triumph on the final stage into Abu Dhabi, safely navigating the flat sprinters’ day to defend the red leader’s jersey he claimed with a dominant victory on Jebel Hafeet on Stage 6. Surrounded by his teammates throughout the 176km finale, Del Toro crossed the line in the peloton to secure the biggest general classification win of his career to date.

Del Toro’s defining moment came yesterday on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet, where he launched a decisive attack inside the final three kilometres of the 10.8km climb. His acceleration distanced Antonio Tiberi and the other GC contenders, earning him both the stage win and the overall race lead. Earlier in the week, he had also shown consistency with a second-place finish on Jebel Mobrah and strong positioning in crosswind stages.

Today’s success marks a historic milestone for the 22-year-old, becoming one of the youngest winners of the UAE Tour and securing a flagship victory on home roads for the Emirati squad.

Isaac Del Toro: “It’s really special. Thanks to my amazing team this dream was made possible and I couldn’t be more proud. I learned a lot during this race and I was very happy to see the work pay off.

It was a great feeling to come into the streets of Abu Dhabi with the leaders jersey on my shoulders. Next I’ll take a break at home before building up to the next goals which will be Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico. I’ll take my time now and build things step by step.”

Meanwhile Jan Christen delivered an impressive performance today to take second place on Stage 5 of the Vuelta a Andalucía-Ruta del Sol, confirming his strong form in one of the early European stage races.

The final stage of the race finished in Lucena, where a fast and selective finale ended in a competitive sprint for the final honours. Christen timed his effort perfectly to cross the line behind stage winner Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), and ahead of a quality chasing group.

UAE Tour Final Classification

1.Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 21:10:30

2.Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) +20”

3.Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) +1’14”