Isaac del Toro confirms 2026 Tour de France debut alongside Pogacar

Speaking to reporters at the UAE Team Emirates-XRG media day in Benidorm on Saturday, Del Toro confirmed that he would start his season at the UAE Tour in late February.

He will also ride Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo, where he will look to help Pogačar add to his collection of Monument victories. He will ride Itzulia Basque Country in April and then line up at the Critérium du Dauphiné as his final tune-up for the Tour.

“The idea, when I’m with him, is to learn as much as I can from him,” Del Toro said of racing with Pogačar. “That’s something that’s good for me. I can learn from him for these races for the future.”

Asked to outline his personal ambitions at the Tour, Del Toro said: “To enjoy the race and see how it is. I’ve done the Vuelta and Giro once before, and now I think it’s good to know the Tour also. It’s good to be there.”

Pogačar will chase a record-equalling fifth Tour victory in 2026 and with Almeida deployed at the Giro and the Vuelta a España, Del Toro looks set to be the Slovenian’s key climbing domestique in July.

“Maybe yes, you need to ask him,” Del Toro said when asked if Pogačar had pushed for him to be in the Tour line-up. “From my side, as a kid, I always wanted to be on the Tour, and now it’s on the plan. I’ll try to be up there with the guys and be at the level. Maybe Tadej is happy, but you need to ask him. For sure, it’s something I always wanted.

Del Toro bounced back from the disappointment of letting the Giro escape at the last by enjoying a sparkling run of form in the latter part of the season.  He won a total of 18 races in 2025, including the Tour of Austria, Vuelta a Burgos and Giro dell’Emilia. 

“I learned quickly after the Giro, and I just tried to manage it as best as I can,” Del Toro said. “In the second half of the season, I tried to fix the problems of the Giro and believe more in myself. It was working, so I’ll see if I can do it again.”