Mexican cyclist Isaac del Toro defends podium and white jersey on Alpe d’Huez

Isaac del Toro, the Mexican rider of UAE Team Emirates, stayed third in the overall classification after Stage 19 of the 2026 Tour de France, which finished on the legendary Alpe d’Huez. He crossed the line in seventh place, keeping the white jersey for the best young rider and remaining 12 seconds behind Remco Evenepoel and 2 minutes 41 seconds behind his teammate Tadej Pogacar, who won the stage and set a new record time on the climb.

The stage attracted an estimated 500 000 spectators to the 21 hairpin turns of Alpe d’Huez, creating intense crowd pressure and prompting safety concerns. A fight between two fans was recorded, and Colombian rider Einer Rubio abandoned after colliding with a UAE team car that had to brake to avoid an invading spectator.

Organisers described the back‑to‑back Alpe d’Huez ascents on consecutive days as possibly the toughest mountain stages in Tour history, with the Friday ascent covering 3 450 m of climbing and the Saturday “queen” stage adding a further 5 450 m via additional cols. The drama set the scene for the final two days before the race finishes in Paris.

Del Toro, now 24 years old, will seek to convert his strong performance into a historic podium finish for a Mexican cyclist, while the race continues to contend with crowd management and the health of key riders, including a viral outbreak affecting the UAE team.