Isaac del Toro has delivered Mexico’s best result ever in the Tour de France, taking third place overall and crossing the finish line Sunday in the white jersey — indicative of the race’s best young rider.
Competing in his first Tour de France, the 22-year-old from Ensenada, Baja California, stood on the podium in Paris alongside Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who rode to a record‑equaling fifth Tour title, and Belgian Remco Evenepoel.
Isaac del Toro, winner of the white jersey at the Tour de France 👏👏😭🇲🇽🤍#TDF2026ᴿᴾ 💛 pic.twitter.com/w6DZFk3tvi
— Fan Club Isaac del Toro 🐂🇲🇽 (@ToritoFanClub) July 26, 2026
Del Toro finished the three-week race 9 minutes, 42 seconds behind Pogačar, but comfortably ahead of his closest rival for the youth classification after a grueling final week in the Alps.
Evenepoel was 6:26 behind in second place following the last of 21 stages.
Early in the race, on a 168.5-kilometer stage held entirely in Spain, del Toro made history as only the second Mexican rider ever to win a stage of the Tour de France — and the first since Monterrey native Raúl Alcalá in 1989 and 1990.
On Sunday, ESPN compared Del Toro’s breakout in road cycling to Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who won two top National League awards — the Cy Young Award, as the league’s best pitcher, and Rookie of the Year — in 1981, his first full season in the major leagues.
Del Toro battled illness in the final days but leaned on team support and Pogačar’s help on key climbs, including the summit finish to Alpe d’Huez. The two ride for the eight‑man UAE Team Emirates‑XRG squad.
“It’s not easy to finish on the podium being sick, so I’m really delighted and very grateful to the team for having done this for me,” he told Eurosport.
His performances — including the Barcelona stage win in which Pogačar eased up to let his young teammate take the victory — have turned him into a national figure. According to ESPN, murals have gone up in his honor, hills have been renamed in his native Ensenada, and cycling shops in Mexico are reporting rising demand for bikes and gear.
President Claudia Sheinbaum hailed Del Toro’s achievement on social media.
“Many congratulations to young Isaac del Toro,” she wrote Sunday on X. “Mexico is very proud of your effort, dedication and this great moment that inspires an entire country. Congratulations, Isaac! May your success continue.”
Del Toro’s Tour de France finish cemented his No. 3 status in the current Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) world rankings, behind only Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark.
💛 The Final Top 10 of the #TDF2026.
Only two riders have managed to hold onto a place in the Top 10 between 2025 and 2026: 🇸🇮 Tadej Pogacar and 🇫🇷 Jordan Jegat!
💛 Le Top 10 Final du #TDF2026.
Seuls deux coureurs ont su garder une place dans le Top 10 depuis 2025 : 🇸🇮 Tadej… pic.twitter.com/eisjQXutup
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2026
His breakout 2025 season produced 16 victories across stage races and one‑day events, including several stage-race titles and second place overall at the prestigious Giro d’Italia.
Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France champion, crashed out of this year’s race, suffering a broken collarbone during Stage 15 when he was in second place.
His departure opened the door for Pogačar, 27, whose fifth title tied him with Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault for the most Tour de France titles. American Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven titles following doping investigations by cycling authorities.
With reports from ESPN, El Universal, Cycling News and the Associated Press
