"It was an incredible first experience" - Isaac del Toro after everything plays out perfectly for UAE on Alpe d'Huez
CyclingFriday, 24 July 2026 at 23:00
The first day on the slopes of Alpe d'Huez has been kind to UAE Team Emirates - XRG. Even though the Emirati team is dealing with an illness internally, their leaders came out unafected to secure their podium spots.
Tadej Pogacar holds his lead firmly after today's victory. The yellow jersey's advantage over Remco Evenepoel expanded past the seven-minute mark with two days left.
On contrary, Isaac del Toro still needs to stay attentive, even though his gap to Paul Seixas widened too. The Mexican gained four seconds in last kilometers of Alpe d'Huez, and currently holds a 24-second advantage in third overall.
"We did our best with the team. It’s incredible how the guys are still able to manage the situation. Thanks to everybody it was pretty much a good day for everybody and I’m super happy to see Tadej [Pogacar] shining," Del Toro said afterwards.
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For the Mexican champion, it's been his first experience riding up the iconic Alpe d'Huez surrounded by endless crowds of spectators. And although it's been a little scary at times, the 22-year-old already looks forward to dive back into the mass of people tomorrow.
"It was an incredible first experience [at Alpe d’Huez]. It will be a great battle still tomorrow. There are two days left in the Tour, so we’ll see how it ends. Tomorrow, I expect more or less the same as today. Maybe a bit more chaos… The beginning may be a little bit more tricky but in the end it should be similar."
Isaac del Toro congratulates Tadej Pogacar at the finish of stage 19
The penultimate stage of 2026 Tour de France has rightfully earned its status as a 'queen stage' of this year's edition. Over 170 kilometers, riders will crest three special category climbs - Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Galibier, and Col de Sarenne, before circling back to finish once again on Alpe d'Huez. With 5,700 of elevation, it's a final opportunity to really shake up the overall standings.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- If he could have stayed with Pogačar he could have come around Carapaz. And if he had contributed earlier in the climb it’s possible the trio would have made it to the finish without being caught. As it is, a solid second on a brutal day.RidesHills25-07-2026
- Excuse me but I think Pogy is not the most popular person in Slovenia but is Jan Plestenjak and Janez Janša,Pogy is only in third position, yes firmly but stil third...
Merxisnotthegoat25-07-2026 - This stage was special and I think will be a classic. Just watching Pogacar catch each rider, and then seeing each rider drop their head in despair as Pogacar steamrolled past them. All the riders at the TDF are strong, so it was an incredible sight to behold.Pogboom25-07-2026
- I watched the stage last night and it was scary how close the crowd got. So many of them were selfishly waving flags at the cameras and only jumping out of the way at the last split second. So stupid and reckless! It was a wonder none of the flags caught a handlebar... Pogacar probably had it worst as he was chasing on his own (so the crowd could get much closer than if you were riding in a bunch) and at one point he was furiously waving at the crowd to make way. They need to extend the barriers much further down the mountain than just the last ~4km.Pogboom25-07-2026
- He is inevitable
liborio25-07-2026 - One thing we do know is that your clown comments are never ending!frieders325-07-2026
- Smaller doses of CO may not kill you, but cause severe brain damage affecting the basal ganglia in the brain.Jakob25-07-2026
- Yeah, Pogi was so weakened today, lol
ScottG24-07-2026 - It has been an incredible ride so far, and I'm impressed. I regularly compare him to Pogačar on his debut grand tour, which was the Vuelta with a lower quality set of GC contenders. Still, he won 3 stages and his last win was an incredible effort which got him on the podium. I keep hoping that Seixas will do something similar, but Roglič was content to do what was needed for the GC and not win every stage he could, while Seixas is up against a man who can't help but dominate and seek every win. Still, I'm hoping for his debut Tour win. I'm sure there it will come eventually!RidesHills24-07-2026
- There's always laser tattoo removal for when that doping positive hits.
Front24224-07-2026
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