Isaac Del Toro wins bunch sprint ahead of Cees Bol in shortened UAE Tour 2026 opener
The first stage of the UAE Tour 2026 was won by Isaac Del Toro. The 22-year-old Mexican from UAE Emirates XRG was the fastest in a powerful sprint on the uphill finishing straight at Liwa Palace. He held off Cees Bol and Antonio Tiberi. Due to strong winds, the stage was shortened by 26 kilometers. With his stage victory, Del Toro also became the first race leader. Jonathan Milan crashed one kilometer before the finish.
What kind of stage was on the schedule?
The first stage from Al Dhafra Walk Madinat Zayed to Liwa Palace featured the threat of echelons. For roughly the first fifty kilometers, the peloton rode over wide, straight roads. Once past the first intermediate sprint at Liwa, the riders entered a more open dune area. The wind was so strong that the organizers decided to cancel one of two laps on the Moreeb Dune Cycling Track, shortening the stage by 26 kilometers. This left 118 kilometers to race. The final straight favored the strong sprinters, as it was uphill at about a 5% gradient. Last year, Jonathan Milan was the fastest on the same finish.
Who was in the breakaway and what was their advantage?
Only one rider was willing to challenge the peloton in the warm and windy conditions. Silvan Dillier of Alpecin-Premier Tech set off solo but immediately realized that a potential stage win was a mirage. The experienced Swiss rode at an average speed of 55 kilometers per hour through the desert early on, but his lead on the peloton never grew beyond two and a half minutes. Just before the second intermediate sprint, he was caught.
How did the finale unfold?
After Dillier was reeled back and the intermediate sprint was behind us, the pace eased somewhat. In the last ten kilometers, the tempo was ramped up. We saw teams like INEOS Grenadiers and Decathlon CMA CGM leading the peloton. One kilometer from the line, there was a roundabout where several riders crashed. The biggest victims were Alberto Dainese, Michael Storer (who, due to the last three kilometers rule, did not lose any time), and Jonathan Milan, who won here last year.
The finishing straight climbed noticeably. Last year, Tadej Pogačar tried to outsmart the sprinters here but failed. In the final 500 meters, Sam Welsford of INEOS Grenadiers faded completely, as did David Gaudu in the slipstream of Axel Huens. This was the signal for Del Toro to launch his effort very early. Ben Tulett tried to follow, but the Mexican champion was far too strong. In the last hundred meters, Cees Bol surged hard but just came up short.
What else stood out today?
There had been warnings of echelons on Monday, but this turned out to be much ado about nothing. Although, due to an emerging sandstorm, loose sand ended up on the road, causing a crash involving Byron Munton (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling). He slipped on a corner near the front of the peloton. A portion of the peloton had to swerve onto the desert sand, resulting in a bit of cross-country style riding in the Middle East.
Because of the wind, the stage was shortened by 26 kilometers, as the Moreeb Dune Cycling Track was too dangerous to take all the narrow paths. The last intermediate sprint was therefore after 91 kilometers. Jonathan Milan won that sprint, but Ben Tulett and Lennert Van Eetvelt were alert. They finished second and third, earning two and one-second time bonuses respectively. That could very well make a difference in the overall classification later this week.
