Del Toro closes in on UAE Tour title with dominant Jebel Hafeet victory

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Feb, 2026) Mexican rider Isaac Del Toro triumphed today in the sixth and penultimate stage (the Burjeel Holdings Stage) of the 2026 UAE Tour. The event, organised by the Abu Dhabi sports Council and sponsored by Abu Dhabi Ports Group, is set to conclude tomorrow.

The UAE Team Emirates XRG rider completed the 168km course in 3 hours, 27 minutes, and 54 seconds. He was followed in second place by Australian star Luke Plapp of Team Jayco AlUla, while Austrian Felix Gall of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale claimed third.

By reclaiming the Red Jersey (sponsored by Abu Dhabi Ports Group) for the General Classification leader, Del Toro has put himself in a prime position to secure the overall title of the eighth edition. He holds a total time of 18 hours, 13 minutes, and 42 seconds across the six stages completed so far, leading Italy’s Antonio Tiberi by 20 seconds.

In a dominant display, Del Toro also seized the Green Jersey (sponsored by Mubadala) for the points classification with 56 points, and the White Jersey (sponsored by Burjeel Holdings) as the best young rider. Meanwhile, the Black Jersey (sponsored by Aldar) for the intermediate sprint classification remains with Silvan Dillier of Alpecin-Deceuninck.

The stage commenced from the Al Ain Museum, with the starting signal given by Dr Aisha Al Mahri, Regional CEO at Burjeel Al Ain – Burjeel Holdings; Nasser Al Qayoumi, representative of the Department of Culture and Tourism; His Excellency Talal Al Hashemi, Executive Director of the Events Sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council; and Abdulrahim Al Zarooni, Director of the Corporate Communications Office at the Council.

Winners were crowned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Director of International Events at Abu Dhabi Sports Council; His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council; His Excellency Dr Ahmed Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Assistant General Secretary; and His Excellency Talal Al Hashemi.

"I was convinced that I could win today," said Del Toro, wearer of the Red, Green, and White jerseys. "Up the hill, it was a mental game with Antonio Tiberi. I was confident enough to keep trying. When the first move didn't work, I decided to go again."

He added: "As a team, we had the winning mentality today. When I went solo with 2.5km to go, I could see the gap, so I tried to increase it as much as I could until the finish line." Del Toro described the victory as one of the top three of his career to date.

The final stage of the 2026 UAE Tour takes place tomorrow, starting from the Zayed National Museum on Saadiyat Island. The 149km route will pass through Abu Dhabi's most iconic landmarks before finishing at the Breakwater on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, where the overall winner will be crowned.