Mexican Sensation Isaac Del Toro Claims Thrilling Stage 1 Win at 2026 UAE Tour
Isaac Del Toro delivered a spectacular performance to open the 2026 UAE Tour, surging to victory on Stage 1 and earning the leader’s jersey for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. The young Mexican talent set the pace under challenging wind conditions, immediately asserting his presence at the premier World Tour cycling event in the Middle East.
Originally planned as a 144 km route from Madinat Zayed to Liwa Palace, the stage was shortened to 118 km in response to strong crosswinds sweeping across the exposed desert roads. Organizers made the call to ensure rider safety, as the relentless gusts threatened to disrupt racing. Despite the shorter distance and the tricky elements, fans witnessed an action-packed contest.
The day’s drama peaked with a late crash involving several riders, notably taking down sprint favourite Jonathan Milan. As the peloton regrouped for the closing stretch, a fast and uphill finish awaited. In the final meters, Del Toro executed a perfectly timed attack, surging past Cees Bol (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) to clinch the stage in a reduced sprint. His explosive finish, supported by strong teamwork and tactical positioning, showcased Del Toro’s power and race intelligence.
Offering his perspective on the day, Del Toro stated:
“The team was incredible, I’d like to thank them all for what they did. It was one of my first days experiencing this kind of wind, it made things really hard. It’s nice to have a lead but I’ll keep my feet on the ground, there are many hard stages to come. We all know Remco is unbelievably fast on the TT bike so I’ll aim to be as close as I can be to him or the same as him, or even better.” — Isaac Del Toro
With the leader’s jersey on his shoulders, Del Toro now looks ahead to the Stage 2 individual time trial and the testing mountain stages to come. His victory signals an outstanding start to the season and puts both the rider and his team in an advantageous position as the week unfolds, much to the delight of home fans.
Team V.4-EM-UAE



























