ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Isaac del Toro delivered another statement performance for UAE Team Emirates XRG on Sunday, claiming his eighth victory of the season with a commanding solo win at the Circuito de Getxo in Spain.
The 21-year-old Mexican launched a decisive attack on the steep Alto de Pike climb with 16.5km remaining, distancing the field and holding off the chase to seal a dominant win.
“After a really hard day yesterday in San Sebastián, we find again the good legs like the last weeks,” said Del Toro. “Yesterday was super good, and today also with the team, the guys are trying to fight super well. It is something I am very proud to be part of.”
“Thanks to the guys, me and Juan are able to fight [for the win] again, and try to do again first and second,” he added. “It was a super nice day for us, we suffered with the heat and also with the level of the race, but we enjoyed today.”
Del Toro’s effort was backed up by a textbook team performance. UAE Team Emirates XRG had earlier taken control of the peloton, reining in a 10-man breakaway with strong turns from Marcos Freire, Domen Novak and Jay Vine. Their pace set the stage for a fierce finale as the race reached the base of the Alto de Pike (2km at 9.6%).
Juan Ayuso set a brutal tempo on the climb, softening up the competition and paving the way for Del Toro’s explosive move. By the summit, Del Toro had opened a 10-second gap.
On the descent and across the final flat kilometres, Ayuso marked the chasers – first Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), and later Lidl-Trek riders Héctor Álvarez and Toms Skujiņš – as Del Toro maintained his slender advantage.
Into the final uphill drag to the finish in Getxo, Ayuso outsprinted Aranburu to secure second place, ensuring a 1-2 finish for the Emirati team – its 69th win of the season.
The result capped a strong weekend in the Basque Country for UAE Team Emirates XRG, after Jan Christen’s runner-up finish at Saturday’s San Sebastian classic race, where Del Toro also featured with a gritty fifth-place finish.