Isaac del Toro conquered Grand Colombier and complicated the finale of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Isaac del Toro of the UAE Team Emirates XRG squad is the winner of the seventh stage of the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, ridden on Saturday, June 13, from La Bridoire to Grand Colombier. According to the organizer's official standings, Del Toro crossed the finish line in 3:41:41, while Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek finished second, 24 seconds behind, and Tobias Johannessen of Uno-X Mobility third, 38 seconds behind. The stage was one of the key mountain tests in the final phase of the race and further sharpened the battle for the general classification ahead of the last day.
The organizer's official data state that the seventh stage was marked as the La Bridoire – Grand Colombier section, with the route presented as a 134-kilometre-long mountain test, while the official results display lists 131.1 kilometres of total distance covered. ProCyclingStats, in its stage profile, lists a length of 133.6 kilometres, 3728 metres of elevation gain and a final kilometre with an average gradient of 10.7 percent, which explains why precisely the last climb decided the day's outcome. Del Toro, according to the same source, reached victory with a solo attack in the final 1.4 kilometres.
Ayuso moved earlier, Del Toro took the initiative on the final climb
According to the ProCyclingStats summary, the seventh stage was not calm even before the decisive climb. The race was neutralized at one point because of gravel on the descent after the third climb, and Paul Seixas, one of the important riders in the fight for the top of the standings, crashed and lost around three and a half minutes before, with the help of the Decathlon CMA CGM team, he returned after a long chase. On the final Grand Colombier, Seixas could not respond to the strongest tempo, and Ayuso was the first of the favourites to try to open a gap with an early attack.
Del Toro paced his effort better in the finale and passed Ayuso, thereby recording a stage victory that returned him to the centre of the battle for the general classification. The official results confirm that the Mexican gained 24 seconds over Ayuso, 38 seconds over Johannessen and 41 seconds over Matteo Jorgenson and Cian Uijtdebroeks. Behind them finished Mattias Skjelmose at 1:17, Paul Seixas at 1:21, Cristian Rodriguez at 2:29, Jose Felix Parra Cuerda at 2:31 and Jan Castellon Ribalta at 2:33. Luke Tuckwell, the holder of the yellow jersey, finished eleventh, also 2:33 behind, but retained the lead in the general classification.
Result of the seventh stage
- 1. Isaac del Toro Romero (UAE Team Emirates XRG) 3:41:41
- 2. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) +0:24
- 3. Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) +0:38
- 4. Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:41
- 5. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar Team) +0:41
- 6. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) +1:17
- 7. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) +1:21
- 8. Cristian Rodriguez (XDS Astana Team) +2:29
- 9. Jose Felix Parra Cuerda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) +2:31
- 10. Jan Castellon Ribalta (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) +2:33
Tuckwell defended the yellow jersey, Del Toro jumped to second place
Although he lost more than two and a half minutes to the stage winner, Luke Tuckwell of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe remained the leader in the general classification. According to the standings published by ProCyclingStats, Tuckwell has a total time of 25:59:09 after the seventh stage. Del Toro moved up to second place, 49 seconds behind, while Ayuso is third, 1:06 minutes behind. Seixas, after a demanding day, fell to fourth place, 1:54 behind, and Uijtdebroeks is fifth at 2:17.
Such an order leaves the race open ahead of the final eighth stage. With victory on Grand Colombier, Del Toro significantly reduced the gap to Tuckwell, but the Australian still enters the final day with an advantage that allows him to ride defensively. At the same time, Ayuso remained close enough to be counted among the main threats, especially if the final stage brings new attacks and selection among the contenders for victory. The race is listed in the programme of the International Cycling Union as part of the UCI WorldTour, with the 2.UWT classification, which means that the result carries weight beyond the weekly standings themselves.
Del Toro: the goal is still overall victory
After the stage, according to a post on the race's official website, Del Toro said that his team wanted to try something after the good feelings of the previous day. He stressed that managing long climbs is still not easy for him, but that he is gradually getting used to it and feels better with every race. According to the official transmission of his statement, he was not completely certain of the outcome, but wanted to try to reach victory, and he described winning the overall classification at this race as a goal.
His statement further explains the importance that UAE Team Emirates XRG attaches to this race. Del Toro emphasized that he still has a great hunger for success and that this is precisely what motivates him for the coming races. He also added that it is a special experience when teammates work for him and help him in the finale, because, as the official organizer stated, he is in a position that he experiences as exceptional. Victory on Grand Colombier was therefore not only a stage success, but also confirmation that the team sees in him a serious candidate for the greatest result in the general classification.
Tuckwell survived the hardest moment on Grand Colombier
After the stage, according to the organizer's official release, Tuckwell admitted that his goal had been to give everything and use the advantage he had ahead of the seventh stage in order to keep the yellow jersey. He said the climb was extremely hard and that he was riding that final climb for the first time, so he did not know exactly what awaited him. Instead of reacting to every attack, he decided to ride at his own rhythm from the start to the end of the climb, which proved sufficient to defend the lead.
The Australian, according to the same release, stated that he suffered most in the middle of the climb and that at one point he thought the lead would be decided by a very small margin. Around a kilometre and a half before the finish, he heard from the road that he had only about a minute of advantage left, and he described that information as additional motivation because he had earlier removed his earpiece. In the finale, according to his words, he gave everything to the finish line. He added that this is his first professional season and that he is still discovering his own limits, which makes the defence of the yellow jersey additionally significant.
Grand Colombier separated the favourites before the final day
Grand Colombier played in the seventh stage the kind of role expected from a major mountain finish. According to the stage profile on ProCyclingStats, the day listed the climbs Col du Banchet, Col de la Crusille, Côte de Saint-Maurice-de-Rotherens, Lacets du Grand Colombier, Col de Richemond and the final Grand Colombier. Such a layout left little room for hiding, especially after the final climb brought a long test of tempo, patience and explosiveness.
For Del Toro, it was an ideal opportunity to use his climbing qualities and improve his position in the general classification. For Ayuso, the stage showed that he can attack and take the initiative, although in the very finale he lacked the strength for victory. Johannessen confirmed stability in the hardest moments with third place, while Jorgenson and Uijtdebroeks remained close enough not to lose contact with the top of the day's standings. The biggest gain, however, was achieved by Del Toro, because in addition to victory he also took a psychological advantage ahead of the last stage.
The final stage brings another mountain test
According to the organizer's calendar, the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ends on Sunday, June 14, with the eighth stage from Beaufort to Plateau de Solaison - Brison. On the race's official website at the moment of checking, the standings of the eighth stage had not yet been published, which means that after the seventh stage the yellow jersey still belonged to Tuckwell. Ahead of the last day, the situation is tight enough for active riding by the main rivals to be expected, especially Del Toro and Ayuso, who trail the leader by less than one and a little more than one minute.
For Tuckwell, the most important task is to control the gap and avoid a situation in which he would have to respond directly to every attack. For Del Toro, on the contrary, the final stage opens the possibility that after the stage victory he will try to turn pressure into overall triumph. Ayuso also remains in a realistic position to attack, and Seixas, although he lost time on Grand Colombier, is still within reach of the podium if the final stage turns into another difficult day among the favourites. The seventh stage therefore did not close the race, but made it more uncertain, with Tuckwell in the lead, but with Del Toro as the rider who showed the best form on the hardest climb of the day.
Sources:
- Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / official standings – official results of the seventh stage, rider times and stage calendar (link)
- Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / official post – statement by Isaac del Toro after the seventh stage (link)
- Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / official post – statement by Luke Tuckwell after the seventh stage (link)
- UCI – official competition calendar, race status and 2.UWT classification (link)
- ProCyclingStats – seventh stage profile, race summary, climb data and general classification after the stage (link)