Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) seized the race lead at the UAE Tour on Saturday, overcoming a determined effort from Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) on the decisive ascent of Jebel Hafeet. Del Toro’s victory marked a significant moment in the race, shifting the balance of power with only a final sprint stage remaining in Abu Dhabi.
The decisive attack came with 2.5 kilometers remaining of the 168km stage from Al Ain Museum, as Del Toro accelerated beyond the reach of Tiberi, who had begun the day as the overall leader. Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) and Felix Gall (Decathlon-CMA CGM) subsequently passed a fading Tiberi before the finish line, completing the podium.
Tiberi, who had claimed the red jersey following his stage win on Jebel Mobrah earlier in the week, acknowledged Del Toro’s strength and expressed pride in his own performance. “For all the team and me, of course, it would have been better to keep this jersey and the leadership, but I gave it all my best,” Tiberi told Cyclingnews. “Del Toro pushed me to the limit even more to endeavor to defend this jersey, and I can just be proud and happy since I gave all the energy I had in my body until the finish line.”
Bahrain Victorious performance director Rod Ellingworth echoed Tiberi’s sentiments, stating that the team had no regrets about their strategy. “He didn’t really have a choice, I don’t think, but to follow Del Toro. But I think the main thing was it was just man on man, wasn’t it? So you can’t really change anything,” Ellingworth said. He added that the team’s focus was on giving a full effort, and that Tiberi’s performance was a positive step forward.
Del Toro now holds a 20-second advantage over Tiberi in the general classification, with Plapp in third place, 1 minute and 14 seconds behind. The Mexican rider had entered the stage 21 seconds behind Tiberi, making his victory a substantial gain.
Despite losing the lead, Tiberi remained optimistic, highlighting his strong start to the season. “For sure, I look more to the positive things, because I’ve never started a season like this,” he said. “Now, I’ve already won a race – the last time was in the Tour of Hungary [in May] – and it’s here in February, at the UAE Tour, a WorldTour to race, so I’m super, super happy about the feelings.”
Ellingworth acknowledged the strength of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad, stating, “So there’s nothing more you can say, really, I think everybody knows UAE is strong, and you’ve just got to try and think of different ways of being them.”
The UAE Tour concludes on Sunday with a flat sprint stage around the streets of Abu Dhabi, where Del Toro will defend his narrow lead.
