History Rides Into Paris on Two Wheels
The numbers come first. After Stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France — the 'queen stage' from Le Bourg d'Oisans to Alpe d'Huez — Isaac del Toro of Ensenada, Mexico, sits third in the general classification, separated from fourth-place Frenchman Paul Seixas by just 24 seconds. With Sunday's final stage reduced from 132.5 to 89 kilometers due to wildfires affecting parts of France, that margin is effectively a wall. Del Toro will become the first Mexican cyclist ever to stand on the Tour de France podium.
Del Toro, 22, completed the queen stage in 5 hours and 44 seconds, finishing fifth on the day. Team UAE leader Tadej Pogacar rode alongside him through the critical final climb of the Col de la Sarenne, where Seixas lost contact with the lead group and ceded time. Pogacar finished fourth on the stage; the two crossed the finish line together, arms around each other.
The stage victory went to Richard Carapaz, who arrived solo at Alpe d'Huez. Remco Evenepoel finished second on the stage, Sepp Kuss third.
'I feel excited and grateful to Tadej Pogacar and the whole team for the great work they have done throughout the stage and for me,' Del Toro said at the finish line. 'The truth is I had never felt so much pressure, but that is something only privileged people feel.'
The Mexican rider acknowledged that the UAE squad navigated a difficult race. 'The team went through hard moments, but we tried to overcome them by not being weak,' he said. 'It has not been easy at all to earn a podium spot, but now I am happy and I thank the team for the commitment and help of everyone, starting with Tadej.'
Del Toro was equally generous toward his rival. 'Seixas is a great rider and he should also celebrate the Tour he has ridden,' he said of the 19-year-old Frenchman, also a Tour debutant. 'He and his team did everything possible to reach the same goal as me. He is a great champion, and I am happy for them as well as for the side of the coin that fell my way.'
The final stage runs Sunday, July 26, from Thoiry to Paris, concluding on the Champs-Élysées. Mexican fans can follow the broadcast on ESPN.
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What Del Toro has accomplished goes beyond sport. He is a 22-year-old from Ensenada who rode to the top of the world's hardest bicycle race on merit, under maximum pressure, inside a team that was fighting illness mid-competition. No government program put him on that podium. No quota placed him in the peloton. Free competition, private investment through UAE Team, and individual excellence carried him there. That is the story worth telling — and the one that will endure long after the Paris confetti settles.
