Isaac Del Toro Triumphs at UAE Tour, Eyes Future Success

Feb 22, 2026

70 min

Feb 22, 2026 14:31

Impressive Del Toro takes statement victory in UAE

## Del Toro's Dominant Performance

Isaac Del Toro, a 22-year-old cyclist from Mexico, clinched a commanding victory in the UAE Tour, concluding in Abu Dhabi. Del Toro's performance was marked by winning two stages and finishing 20 seconds ahead of Italian competitor Antonio Tiberi. Australian Luke Plapp secured third place, trailing by nearly a minute.

## Final Stage Highlights

The final stage saw Jonathan Milan claim his third sprint victory of the week, completing a 147km route in Abu Dhabi. Milan outpaced Norway's Erden Blikra and Australia's Sam Welsford in the sprint finish.

## Rising Star

Del Toro's triumph in the UAE Tour has drawn comparisons to Tadej Pogacar, another product of the UAE development system. Del Toro's career began to shine in 2023 with a win at the Tour de l'Avenir, echoing Pogacar's path. His skills in time trials and mountain stages, as demonstrated by his second place in the Giro d'Italia, have set high expectations for his debut in the Tour de France later this year.

## Evenepoel's Challenges

Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel, seen as Del Toro's main rival, faced difficulties during the tour. Despite a strong start to the year, Evenepoel struggled on key climbs and finished 10th overall. He attributed his performance to a lack of freshness and a recent cold. Evenepoel plans to take a break before returning to competition at the Tour of Catalonia in March.

Read the full story at the source

What you need to know to get Emirates ID?

Leave your details and get a guide as a gift to avoid mistakes

Article contents