Del Toro conquers the Grand Colombier for a breakthrough win

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) stormed to a magnificent solo victory on the fearsome summit finish of the Grand Colombier, claiming stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes 2026. The young Mexican attacked on the steepest ramps of the climb for his first professional stage race victory on French roads.

He was followed across the line by a resurgent Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), who finished 24 seconds in arrears after his own early attack. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) rounded out the podium in third place, 38 seconds behind the winner.

The brutal final climb caused a major shake-up in the general classification. Race leader Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) was isolated and fought for every second, finishing 2 minutes and 33 seconds down to barely cling on to his overall lead.

The 140 km stage was always going to be decided on the final, monstrous ascent of the Grand Colombier. The peloton remained largely together heading towards the climb, with teams jostling for position before the fireworks began on a side of the mountain never before used in the race.

As soon as the race hit the lower slopes, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) was one of the first to make a significant move. But it was Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) who launched the decisive acceleration midway up the climb, quickly establishing a solo lead on the excruciatingly steep gradients.

Behind, the group of favourites shattered. Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar Team) led the chase but could make no impression on the flying Del Toro. Further back, race leader Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) was completely isolated, pacing himself to limit his losses as Del Toro held his advantage all the way to the line for a memorable win.

• Isaac del Toro's victory was a stunning confirmation of the talent he has shown at U23 level. To win in such dominant fashion on one of France's hardest climbs marks him out as a future Grand Tour contender.
• Juan Ayuso's second place is arguably as significant as the stage win. After a period of inconsistent form, this performance on a pure climber's finish shows he is back to his best.
• Luke Tuckwell's desperate, isolated defence of the yellow jersey was heroic, but it exposed a clear weakness in his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe squad. He cannot afford to be so alone on future mountain stages if he hopes to win the race.
• The decision to use a new, steeper route up the Grand Colombier proved decisive. It negated team tactics and turned the finale into a pure test of climbing ability, creating significant time gaps.
• Paul Seixas's ride to seventh place, just 1:21 down after a crash, was one of the performances of the day. The young Frenchman's resilience and determination to fight back marked him as a name to watch.