“It’s because of Isaac” – Tadej Pogacar credits Del Toro after blasting into Tour de France yellow
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar moved into the yellow jersey at the 2026 Tour de France after taking victory in a brutal finishing burst at Les Angles on stage 3, but his first reaction was to point straight at Isaac del Toro.
One day after Pogacar allowed Del Toro to take his maiden Tour stage win in Barcelona, the Mexican played a decisive role in returning the favour. UAE Team Emirates – XRG controlled the breakaway through the second half of stage 3, then Del Toro led Pogacar into the final kick that stripped Jonas Vingegaard of yellow.
“He committed more than 1000%”
Speaking after taking his 22nd Tour de France stage win, Pogacar made clear how much Del Toro’s work had mattered in the finale. “It’s because of Isaac today that I get some extra power in the finale,” said Pogacar. “He committed more than 1000% on the final climb. All the team did.”
The final rise to Les Angles was short, but UAE had been working towards that finish for a long time. Alex Baudin had threatened yellow from the breakaway and went on to secure the polka dot jersey, yet UAE kept the move close through Tim Wellens, Nils Politt and Felix Grossschartner.
By the time Baudin was caught inside the final 12 kilometres, Pogacar still had Del Toro, Adam Yates, Brandon McNulty and Grossschartner around him. In the final kilometre, Del Toro hit the front, stretched the favourites’ group and left Pogacar exactly where he needed to be.
Once the world champion launched, Vingegaard had no answer. Pogacar opened metres almost immediately, taking both the stage win and the yellow jersey after three days of racing.
UAE make the call mid-stage
Pogacar said UAE had decided during the stage that the breakaway could be brought back and the victory was there to chase. “In the middle of the stage we decided that it was possible to go for the stage win,” Pogacar explained. “I’m really happy that we started to ride like this because it was an incredible finish.”
It gave UAE a second straight stage win after Del Toro’s success on Montjuic, this time with the roles reversed. Vingegaard had begun the day six seconds ahead of Pogacar; by the end of the first Pyrenean stage, Pogacar was in yellow, Del Toro still led the young rider classification, and UAE had again carried their numbers deep into the finale.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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