Tiberi hails Del Toro after UAE Tour duel: 'He could become even bigger than Pogacar'

“I would definitely have signed for second place in the general classification beforehand,” Tiberi said in his flash interview after the final stage. “I’ve already celebrated this second place with a lot of people this morning. With my family, with the team… Because yes, finishing second here and also taking a stage win is great. Especially at the start of the season. These are really beautiful results for me.”

Tiberi had tried to put Del Toro under pressure earlier in the week and managed to take a victory of his own, but across the decisive moments the Mexican had the answers, eventually closing out the overall win in UAE Team Emirates–XRG colours.

When asked what it meant to finish behind Del Toro, who succeeds teammate Tadej Pogačar as UAE Tour champion, Tiberi offered a striking endorsement.

“Isaac is a great champion, just like Tadej,” he said. “He could become even bigger than Tadej. We all saw what he did last year at the Giro d’Italia, which he almost won. He’s still super young and a real champion, so chapeau to him.”

Del Toro himself framed the week as a breakthrough and an education in leadership, insisting the victory was built on collective strength as much as individual form.

“It’s really special to win my first WorldTour stage race,” Del Toro said. “I’m super happy with the work the guys did. They helped me so much. I couldn’t be prouder.”

The Mexican also pointed to the setting and the emotion of racing in the team’s home event. “It was an amazing feeling riding today in Abu Dhabi, just like the other day in the streets of Dubai with the skyline in the background,” he said. “It was emotional on the bike.”

With the final stage going to a sprinter, Del Toro’s priority was simply to protect the overall lead. “I liked that the race was so fast. I’ll never forget this UAE Tour,” he said. “Yesterday on Jebel Hafeet we simply followed the plan. It’s not easy being the leader in this team, because everyone is so good, but it’s a huge satisfaction to win our team’s home race.”

Tiberi, meanwhile, underlined that his own week felt like a platform rather than a ceiling. “This final result, together with a stage win, is great, especially at the start of the season,” he said. “If I can continue like this, I can be ambitious for the rest of the year.”

Del Toro tried to keep expectations in check, even as his next goals are already on the calendar. “I’m taking my time and building everything step by step,” he said, looking ahead to Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico.