Isaac Del Toro explains stunning comeback on monstrous final climb
Isaac Del Toro rode a remarkable final climb during the third stage of the UAE Tour. The Mexican attacked early on the steep Jebel Mobrah, but fought back to finish second behind stage winner Antonio Tiberi. In the flash interview afterward, Del Toro explained how he approached the climb.
"On the profile, the climb looked very tough, and I’ve never done anything like this as a team leader," the 22-year-old rider began his story. “That’s why I was very cautious with the effort I wanted to maintain during the climb."
Del Toro also praised the performance of his team, UAE Emirates XRG. “The team did a perfect job controlling the race for me and helping me out, so thanks to them I felt capable and confident to make a move in the finale.”
Compliments for Tiberi
Once Del Toro was free, he already had a significant gap behind Antonio Tiberi. Ultimately, he couldn’t catch the Italian. “I really wanted to catch him. But he was going so fast, hats off to him. I really tried, but I couldn’t make it. I’m super happy with my performance and the team’s work.”
Del Toro is now second in the general classification, 21 seconds behind Tiberi. Is that gap still bridgeable over the remaining four stages? "Maybe yes, maybe no. We’ll see," the Mexican replied with a big smile.
