"I’ll sleep well tonight" - Isaac del Toro confirms his podium position, despite losing some time to Paul Seixas in stage 16 time trial

Cycling
Tuesday, 21 July 2026 at 23:00
Isaac del Toro
Isaac del Toro took another step toward the podium at the 2026 Tour de France after a solid ride in the stage 16 individual time trial. The Mexican finished fifth on the day and, although he conceded five seconds to Paul Seixas in their head-to-head for third overall, he kept his virtual podium spot and extended his gap over Juan Ayuso, the other white jersey contender.
After crossing the line, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider expressed satisfaction with his performance, especially after the scare two days earlier when he went down over Jonas Vingegaard and teammate Felix Großschartner, and said he approaches the decisive phase of the race with optimism.
Del Toro admitted his sensations were better than expected and felt there were plenty of reasons to leave content after one of the Tour’s key days. "I think I can be happy with my time trial. After the week we’ve had and the scare two days ago, it went quite well. I can be happy and sleep well tonight."
The Mexican underlined that the course demanded constant risk-taking, particularly given the road surface in several sections. "Some corners were quite slippery and the road wasn’t in great condition in parts. We all took risks because we know that’s part of the battle."
The time trial victory of Remco Evenepoel was overshadowed by his teammate Florian Lipowitz’s heavy crash, which forced the German to abandon the Tour while sitting fifth overall.
Del Toro sent a message of support to one of his main rivals. "I’m very sorry we’ve lost ‘Lipo’. I wish him a speedy recovery."
Florian Lipowitz, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe star
Florian Lipowitz at the 2026 Tour de France

The battle with Paul Seixas remains wide open

Although Paul Seixas clawed back five seconds in the time trial, Del Toro downplayed that small margin and said he approaches the run-in with a very positive mindset. "We try to stay positive and be the ones who take time on them."
The Mexican stressed that, on balance, the day worked in his favour. "Overall, I can be happy."
With two major mountain stages still to come, Isaac del Toro holds third place overall and retains a narrow advantage over Paul Seixas in a fight for the final podium step that looks set to be decided in the Alps during the closing days of the 2026 Tour de France.
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