UAE Team Emirates XRG's Mexican rider Isaac Del Toro Romero celebrates winning the 8th and final stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes cycling race, 120,1km between Beaufort and Plateau de Solaison, in the French Alps on June 14, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
Plateau de Solaison, France: Mexican Isaac Del Toro won the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes with a solo success on Sunday's eighth and final stage for the biggest victory of his career.
The 22-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider will now head to the Tour de France as a 'super-domestique' for the sport's dominant figure Tadej Pogacar, who will be chasing a record-equalling fifth Grande Boucle title.
Having already won the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico this season, Del Toro completed a third week-long stage race victory in probably the most prestigious of that category.
Del Toro, who started the day third overall, attacked with just over 9km remaining of the final of four tough climbs in Sunday's short 120km stage from Beaufort to Plateau de Solaison-Brison.
None of the other overall contenders went with him but Spain's Juan Ayuso counter-attacked 4km later and took second place on the stage.
But that was only enough to move up from fourth to third in the overall standings as Australian overnight leader Luke Tuckwell battled to limit his losses and took eighth on the stage at 1min 43sec.
That was enough to finish second overall.
