The great Mexican talent, Isaac Del Toro, has honored his professional debut with the UAE Team Emirates with a stupendous victory in the second stage of the Tour Down Under 2024. Last year’s Tour de l’Avenir champion managed to surprise a peloton reduced with an attack in the final kilometer on a route of more than 141.6 kilometers between Norwood and Lobethal.
The 20-year-old manito rider, who finished third in the criterium prior to the Tour Down Under last weekend, chose his moment 1.3 kilometers from the finish and with a lot of power, stayed ahead of the peloton that attacked with Corbin Strong and Stephen Williams (both from Israel-Premier Tech), who finished second and third, ahead of Biniam Girmay (Intermarché – Wanty) and Caleb Ewan (Team Jayco AlUla).
As for the rest of the Latin Americans, the Ecuadorian Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers) entered the 28th place, followed by the Brazilian Vinicus Rangel (Movistar Team) in the 80th position and then the Colombian Álvaro Hodeg (UAE Team Emirates) arrived. in the 130° position.
In the general classification, Del Toro took the lead from Sam Welsford (Bora-Hasngrohe). Due to bonus seconds split along the way (and at the finish line), the young Mexican runner now leads two seconds ahead of Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) and seven seconds ahead of Biniam Girmay (Intermarché – Wanty) and Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech).
The escape of the day was carried out by the Australian Luke Burns (Australian National Team) and the Dutch Jardi Christiaan van der Lee (EF Education-EasyPost). The duo gained a maximum advantage of seven minutes, but were eventually caught up by a reduced peloton about twenty kilometers from the finish.
The third stage of the Australian race will take place this January 18, with a 145.3 kilometer route, starting from Tea Tree Gully to reach Campbelltown. The undulating course includes two categorized mountain passes.
Source: Revista Mundo Ciclístico