Tadej Pogacar has shifted into ‘Tour de France mode’ following a historic spring season. He claimed his first Milan-San Remo victory, added wins at Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and narrowly missed becoming the fourth rider to conquer all five monuments after a close finish at Paris-Roubaix.
Now, the Slovenian champion is targeting a fifth Tour de France title to match legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain (Lance Armstrong won seven but was stripped of them due to doping). He is not preparing alone—Mexican rider Isaac del Toro is training alongside him.
Del Toro, who finished second in last year’s Giro d’Italia and won the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico this season, will serve as a key domestique for Pogacar in his debut at the French Grand Tour.
On Wednesday, Del Toro posted a video on social media showing the duo training together on the ascent of the Grand Ballon, one of the major climbs in the Alsace region. This climb appears in the 14th stage, which finishes at Le Markstein—where Pogacar secured a stage win in 2023 after his general classification hopes ended days earlier at the Col de la Loze.
In the footage, Del Toro wears the Mexican champion’s jersey while Pogacar dons the world champion’s jersey as they navigate the narrow roads of the climb. The Mexican even performs a wheelie on his bike during this initial reconnaissance. The UAE Team Emirates squad is determined to