Feldkirch [Austria], July 13 (ANI/WAM): Isaac del Toro claimed overall victory at the Tour of Austria on Sunday, securing the red jersey following a dominant performance that included three consecutive stage wins.
The 21-year-old Mexican, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, safely finished in the reduced peloton on the fifth and final stage, concluding a successful week for the Emirati squad.
Del Toro's triumph marks the second general classification title of his professional career and brings the team's season tally to 62 victories. His win was built on back-to-back victories in stages 2, 3 and 4, following a strong opening from teammate Felix Grossschartner, who launched a solo attack to win stage 1.
In Sunday's finale, Ineos Grenadiers' Bob Jungels took the stage win from a breakaway, while UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Florian Vermeersch sprinted to third. Del Toro's teammate Rafal Majka also rode consistently throughout the race to finish third overall, with Grossschartner securing 10th place in the general classification.
The Emirati team successfully defended the Tour of Austria title they won in 2024, finishing the five-day race with five stage victories. Del Toro credited his teammates Filippo Baroncini, Alessandro Covi and Julius Johansen for their efforts.
"I am pretty happy and excited because the team did a crazy good job during the whole week," said Del Toro. "Florian did third [on the final stage], and all the other stages went crazy for us. We can be proud of what we did this week and super happy."
Meanwhile, at the Tour de France, UAE Team Emirates-XRG suffered a setback as João Almeida withdrew from the race on stage 9. The Portuguese climber had attempted to continue racing after a crash on stage 7 but was forced to abandon due to injury. The team extended wishes for his speedy recovery. (ANI/WAM)
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