ABU DHABI, 16th February, 2026 (WAM) -- Mexican sensation Isaac Del Toro kicked off the 2026 UAE Tour in thrilling fashion today, powering to victory on Stage 1 and claiming the first leader's jersey of the race for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

The young star's bold racing under challenging wind conditions set the tone for a spectacular opening day at the premier World Tour cycling event in the Middle-East.

The stage, originally planned at 144 km from Madinat Zayed to Liwa Palace, was shortened to 118 km due to strong crosswinds across exposed desert roads - a move made to protect rider safety. Even with the route reduction and tricky conditions, the race delivered drama, highlighted by a late crash that took out several contenders, including sprint favourite Jonathan Milan, and a fast, uphill finish where Del Toro launched his decisive attack.

After some exceptional teamwork and positioning, Del Toro made his move in the closing metres, riding powerfully out of the final drag to outpace Cees Bol (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) in a reduced sprint. The Mexican's timing and strength in the finale were impeccable, showcasing his explosive speed and confidence against top-level competition - and putting UAE Team Emirates-XRG in prime position for the week ahead.

Del Toro said, "The team was incredible, I'd like to thank them all for what they did. It was one of my first days experiencing this kind of wind, it made things really hard. It's nice to have a lead but I'll keep my feet on the ground, there are many hard stages to come. We all know Remco is unbelievably fast on the TT bike so I'll aim to be as close as I can be to him or the same as him, or even better."

Del Toro now wears the leader's jersey as the UAE Tour shifts focus to an individual time trial on Stage 2 and the first of the climbing tests later in the week. Today's triumph marks a perfect start to the season for the Mexican rider and will delight the home crowds.