The penultimate stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes was always going to be a sorting office for the true GC contenders, and the fireworks ignited when Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) launched a long-range gamble. While Ayuso split the favorites group, Del Toro clawed back the deficit before unleashing a counter-attack to pass a fading Ayuso with 1.7 kilometers left to ride and power home for a spectacular solo triumph.
While Del Toro celebrated, the day served up pure heartbreak for French prodigy Paul Seixas, whose GC ambitions were dented by a heavy crash 93 kilometers from the line. Despite a courageous chase, the teenager lacked the depth to match the front-runners when the gradient kicked. Ahead of tomorrow’s final showdown, Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) grimly held onto his yellow jersey, but his buffer has been whittled down. The Australian neo-pro now clings to a 42-second lead over Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), with Del Toro sitting in third at just 49 seconds back.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling.com