Isaac Del Toro delivered a landmark victory for UAE Team Emirates-XRG in Barcelona, claiming his first Tour de France stage win. The Mexican rider triumphed on day two of the 2026 race, after the Grand Départ opened with a 19.6-kilometre team time trial in Barcelona. Visma | Lease a Bike won that opening test, putting Jonas Vingegaard in the initial race lead. The Union Cycliste Internationale later described how Tadej Pogačar “opened the door for Del Toro’s maiden stage win in the French Grand Tour.”
The stage unfolded in the heat on the steep Montjuïc circuit, where the peloton faced repeated efforts on the city’s demanding roads. UAE Team Emirates-XRG set the pace among the general-classification contenders, while the team brought early breakaways back before the finish. That control created the conditions for Pogačar and Del Toro to contest the decisive moments together.
As the group thinned on the final ascent, Del Toro attacked and Pogačar followed, allowing his teammate to take the stage. The result reflected a partnership built over a strong season: before the Tour, the pair had also excelled at the Tour de Suisse and Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Del Toro’s Barcelona win was his maiden stage victory in the French Grand Tour. Information from Domestique Cycling, he recorded 12 professional wins that season.
The Barcelona result was one key stage in a broader Tour campaign. Del Toro went on to finish third overall in Paris and win the young-riders’ classification. Pogačar claimed his fifth Tour de France title. Vingegaard crashed out on Stage 15 and did not finish the race. The UCI quoted Del Toro saying, “I can’t feel more privileged,” as he secured the white jersey.
Del Toro’s achievement adds to the history of Mexican cycling and recalls Raúl Alcalá’s Tour stage victories in 1989 and 1990. It also showed UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s tactical depth: Del Toro could pursue a stage win while supporting Pogačar’s overall ambitions. The pair ultimately finished first and third in Paris. Del Toro’s young-riders’ title added another distinction to the team’s Tour campaign.
The Barcelona stage highlighted UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s tactical strength and the city’s role as host of a major international sporting event. Catalonia has also hosted La Vuelta and the America’s Cup. For more on Barcelona’s ambitions in the global sports arena, see the analysis of the region’s strategy in this recent report.
Montjuïc’s demanding profile tested the peloton’s endurance and positioning, while the opening team time trial established the race’s first general-classification order. Del Toro’s stage victory set the tone for his breakthrough Tour. He finished third overall and won the white jersey, helping UAE Team Emirates-XRG place two riders on the final podium. The race concluded with Pogačar in yellow for the fifth time.
