Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: Isaac del Toro catches and drops attacker Juan Ayuso in clash on Grand Colombier to claim stage 7 victory

Isaac Del Toro of UAE Team Emirates-XRG secured a solo victory on stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, triumphing atop the demanding Grand Colombier climb. The Mexican rider caught and dropped early attacker Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) with 1.5 kilometres remaining on the hors-catégorie ascent, ultimately finishing 24 seconds ahead of the Spaniard. Tobias Halland Johanessen (Uno-X) completed the podium, arriving 38 seconds behind Del Toro, while notable general classification contenders Matteo Jorgenson, Cian Uijtdebroeks, and Mattias Skjelmose followed in the chasing group. The stage was marked by a dramatic incident involving pre-race favourite Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), who crashed early on the descent after the organisers neutralised part of the route due to gravel. Despite being four minutes down, Seixas mounted an extraordinary comeback, chasing for nearly 60 kilometres with the help of teammates before struggling on the final climb. He crossed the line 1 minute 21 seconds behind Del Toro, his bloodied and exhausted appearance underscoring the severity of his crash and the toll it took on his overall race ambitions. Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) maintained his unexpected hold on the yellow jersey, finishing 11th on the day and retaining a 42-second lead over Jorgenson with one mountain stage remaining. Del Toro’s victory propelled him up the general classification to third place, just 49 seconds behind the leader. The young Mexican expressed surprise at his performance on the punishing climbs but emphasised his growing confidence and hunger for further success in upcoming races. The 133-kilometre penultimate stage featured a brutal route with multiple steep climbs, including a double ascent of the Grand Colombier, which averaged over 10% gradient on the final 8.4-kilometre summit finish. The race saw several withdrawals before the start, including notable names such as Oscar Onley and João Almeida, while the breakaway and peloton dynamics were heavily influenced by the neutralised descent and the high pace on the climbs. The attritional nature of the stage reshaped the general classification, setting up a tense finale for the last day of racing.