Isaac del Toro of Team UAE Emirates-XRG claimed the summit finish on the Grand Colombier at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, keeping his overall victory hopes alive. The Mexican crossed the line 24 seconds clear of Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), with Tobias Halland Johannessen finishing a further 14 seconds back. In the general classification, del Toro sits third, 49 seconds behind race leader Luke Tuckwell. The Australian, riding for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, holds a 42-second advantage over Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike).
The day’s biggest loser, however, was Paul Seixas. The 19-year-old Frenchman from Decathlon CMA CGM crashed hard after around 40 kilometers on the penultimate stage, briefly hitting the deck before continuing with two teammates roughly four minutes behind the peloton. Abrasions on his arms and legs, along with bloodstains on his white best young rider jersey, bore testament to the force of the impact.
Seixas rejoined the peloton 37 km from the finish but lacked the strength on the final climb, ultimately finishing seventh, 1:21 down. He now sits sixth overall.
A day earlier, British rider Oscar Onley—fourth at the 2025 Tour de France—had suffered a heavy crash and did not start on Saturday due to a dislocated shoulder. Seixas, following a strong spring, is seen as capable of matching the pace of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard at times in the Tour de France, which starts on July 4.
The race, formerly known as the Dauphiné, concludes on Sunday with another demanding Alpine stage and a summit finish on the Plateau de Solaison.
