The UAE Tour has gotten off to a thrilling start, with the GC riders coming to the front right on day 1, on a stage where the main favourite Jonathan Milan crashed. Isaac del Toro benefitted from the chaos that followed, and has taken his first win of the year right on day one.
"Yeah, quite honestly I was thinking it may be a chance but maybe just a dream, not realistic. Even during the stage I was asking the teammates if they see this properly. It's just crazy," del Toro said in a post-race interview.
The win did not come as a shock, as the final 700 meters averaged 6%. In the current peloton, almost all of the strongest climbers are also the strongest sprinters amongst themselves. Del Toro and Remco Evenepoel were strong outsiders for the stage win, but the late crash of Jonathan Milan may have aided the chances of the two significantly.
But the two had very distinct run-ins to the finish, as the group swerved through the road quite frequently and Evenepoel was blocked off, missing out even on a Top10 finish. Del Toro on the opposite side had space and launched his sprint from very early on, around 300 meters to go, and immediately got a gap.
Why did he decide to do that? "Honestly I don't know exactly, I just see a chance and I didn't want to regret that". But the Mexican had reasons to go for it, as he clearly had the legs to sustain the move all the way to the finish. Although Cees Bol came quite close to overtaking him, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider held it to the line to take the win.
Ahead of Evenepoel into the time trial
"I don't know where they were but I just saw the chance and riders opening to the right and left and then I went full". This victory has earned him 10 seconds over Remco Evenepoel already, meaningful time which will serve as a buffer into tomorrow's 12-kilometer long time trial.
The Mexican is also gaining motivation and having his form proven, as this was his very first race of the season. "It's unbelievable honestly, it's crazy. I feel the same than Tour Down Under (2024 where he took his first pro win, ed.), something that you want but when it's realized it's even better".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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