Isaac del Toro delivered a solid performance for UAE Team Emirates in the opening stage of the 2026 Tour de France, finishing sixth in the 19.6-kilometer team time trial through Barcelona, 26 seconds behind stage winner Jonas Vingegaard.

Vingegaard Claims Early Yellow Jersey

Team Visma | Lease a Bike dominated the opening team time trial, clocking 21:47 to secure stage victory and put Jonas Vingegaard into the race’s first yellow jersey. The Danish rider now leads the general classification as the Tour de France begins its three-week journey across France.

The result gives Vingegaard an early psychological advantage over his main rivals, with the team time trial format allowing his squad to establish an immediate time gap on the competition.

Pogacar and Top Contenders Trail

Del Toro’s UAE Team Emirates teammate Tadej Pogacar finished third individually, 12 seconds behind Vingegaard, putting the Slovenian in a strong position despite not taking the opening stage. The defending champion will look to close this gap in the coming stages.

Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek placed fourth at 16 seconds, while Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rounded out the top five at 19 seconds back.

Strong Start for UAE Team Emirates

Del Toro’s sixth-place finish represents a positive start for the Mexican rider in his Tour de France campaign. The 26-second deficit keeps him well within striking distance of the overall contenders as the race heads into the mountain stages where time gaps can change dramatically.

With the team time trial complete, the focus now shifts to the individual stages where Del Toro and his UAE Team Emirates squad will look to support Pogacar’s title defense while pursuing stage victories of their own.