“Tadej has shown how good a friend he is”: Isaac del Toro seals historic Tour de France podium alongside Pogacar
Cycling
Isaac del Toro is on the verge of completing one of the biggest achievements of his young career. The UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider secured third place overall at the 2026 Tour de France after withstanding repeated attacks from Paul Seixas during the brutal final Alpine stage. Afterwards, the Mexican paid tribute to Tadej Pogacar and his teammates for helping him defend his podium position through a demanding third week.
Del Toro thanks Pogacar and the team
Del Toro admitted he was overwhelmed after crossing the finish line, describing the emotions of surviving the Tour's hardest week while defending his podium position. “I have no words. It’s just incredible as an experience. Pressure is a privilege and today I really felt it,” he said in a post-race interview.
The 22-year-old explained that the final week had been far more difficult than it appeared from the outside, with illness affecting both himself and other members of UAE Team Emirates - XRG.
“This is my first third week in a Tour de France, and it hasn’t been easy. I came into it in a very good situation, but it is not a secret I was struggling. There was sickness in the team. I tried to prevent people from noticing I was weaker, saying I was okay - but it wasn’t true.”
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Del Toro said the support he received from his teammates made the difference, reserving special praise for race leader Tadej Pogacar.
“My teammates took care of me. I don’t know why they supported me this much. They wanted to see me reach places I had just been dreaming to be at. Tadej has shown how good a friend he is. I can’t feel more privileged than I feel today.”
The emotions were impossible to hide during the stage itself. “If you could have seen through my glasses during the stage, you would have seen I was crying, and speechless.”
Isaac del Toro congratulates Tadej Pogacar at the finish of stage 19
Respect for Seixas and eyes on Paris
One of the defining battles of stage 20 came between Del Toro and Paul Seixas, who repeatedly attacked in an attempt to snatch the final podium place. “Paul is a very strong rider. He tried absolutely everything, and you have to appreciate everything they did as a team.”
“They attacked yesterday, they attacked today, and they attacked throughout the Tour. It's beautiful to see. He's a great champion.”
Although relieved to come out on top, he said he also admired the effort made by his rival. “I'm happy to be on this side of the battle, but I'm also happy for them because they gave everything to compete at the highest level.”
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With the white jersey now set to arrive in Paris alongside a place on the overall podium, Del Toro is eager to enjoy the final day of a successful Tour de France. “It’s beautiful to carry this white jersey to Paris. It’s perfect. We were here to fight in the final to try and win it, and I’m super happy I have been able to perform at the level they wanted me to be at.”
After three weeks of racing and overcoming illness, the Mexican is ready to celebrate what has arguably become the greatest success of his career. “From now on, I just want to enjoy the moment. The suffering is past me. Tomorrow is the last day, and we will go with the flow.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
- He will be lol, but he can still win on the climbs hahaawp04-11-2026
- I would love to have his inconsistency. How many wins this year? 2 TdF stages, a WC, a Euro championship, San Sebastian, multiple wins early year. Monument podiums. I'd take it. I don't think he has a chance in the TdF, but he is still amazing.mij04-11-2026
- He's not going to win the TdF. Maybe if they make every single stage a TT he could win. But I still believe Tadej would just sharpen his TT skills and win.mij04-11-2026
- You beat me to it. Should he make a full recovery (likely) and go light early in the year. One, two, three. Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. Should he be on a Feel-Like-He's-Fixin'-to-Die High.Yepperoni04-11-2026
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