Del Toro wins Tour de France stage, Pogacar up to 2nd
Isaac del Toro (centre) celebrates at the finish line with Tadej Pogacar (left) after securing victory in the second stage of the Tour de France. (EPA Images pic)
BARCELONA: Mexican Isaac Del Toro won the second stage of the Tour de France ahead of reigning champion Tadej Pogacar in Barcelona on Sunday as Jonas Vingegaard maintained his overall lead.
Del Toro led home his UAE team leader Pogacar on the short steep climb to the finish at Montjuic, with Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel taking third just ahead of Vingegaard.
Pogacar took six bonus seconds at the finish to move up to second in the yellow jersey standings at just six seconds behind Vinegaard, with Evenepoel now third at 15sec.
With such a punchy, hilly finish in Barcelona at the end of a 169km stage from Tarragona, fireworks were expected amongst the overall favourites.
Del Toro’s UAE upped the pace once the peloton arrived on the finishing circuit around Barcelona, quickly reducing the front group to around 30 riders.
That was thinned out even more on the third and final ascent of the Montjuic hill, where the Barcelona Olympic stadium stands.
Del Toro moved to the front in the final 700 metres with Pogacar right behind him.
And with Vingegaard and Evenepoel unable to force their way ahead, world champion Pogacar looked around repeatedly – seemingly holding something back – before letting his team-mate take the glory.
That helped Del Toro move up to fourth overall at 16sec, with Spaniard Juan Ayuso fifth at 19sec.
Teenage French prodigy Paul Seixas came home in a group of nine riders three seconds back and he is now sixth overall at 42sec.
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