Isaac del Toro Wins Stage Two of Tour de France with Pogacar's Support

Isaac del Toro, the Mexican cyclist, claimed his first Tour de France stage victory on July 5, 2026, by winning the second stage that finished with a climb in Barcelona. Del Toro played a crucial role in the final ascent to Montjuïc, successfully closing down an attack by Mathias Skjelmose on the steep 1.6 km climb with a 9.3% gradient. In the last meters, del Toro surged ahead to cross the finish line first, with Slovenian champion Tadej Pogacar, his teammate, signaling him to take the win and finishing second. Remco Evenepoel completed the podium in third place.

The stage began in Tarragona and covered 169 kilometers. Jonas Vingegaard, who finished fourth in the stage, retained the yellow jersey, leading Pogacar by just six seconds after the latter gained bonus seconds. Evenepoel is third overall, 15 seconds behind the leader, while del Toro and Juan Ayuso are fourth and fifth, respectively, trailing by 16 and 19 seconds.

The third stage will depart Spain, covering 196 kilometers from Granollers to Las Angles. It is a mountainous route with a total ascent of 3,850 meters, including three category 3 climbs and one category 1 climb at Col de Tosa. The stage is expected to see a large breakaway group, potentially producing the next race leader. The finish features a 1.7 km climb with a 6.5% gradient, categorized as category 3.