Circuito de Getxo: UAE Team Emirates-XRG dominate as Isaac del Toro solos to victory with attack on the final climb

Having been comprehensively beaten at yesterday’s Clásica de San Sebastián, UAE Team Emirates-XRG were keen to avoid a second consecutive defeat in the Basque Country, as they went all-out for the win at Circuito de Getxo with Isaac del Toro, who emerged victorious after going solo on the final climb of the Alto de Pike.

The Emirati outfit dominated the race, controlling on the front of the peloton throughout the day to set up the 21-year-old Mexican rider’s decisive attack with 17km to go. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) played a key role in helping to launch the move, as he brought back the breakaway and strung out the group before performing the final leadout for Del Toro.

The Spaniard then followed the subsequent counter-attacks that followed and managed to outsprint local Basque rider Alex Aranburu (Cofidis) in the finale for second place to secure a one-two finish for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

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“After a really hard day yesterday in San Sebastián, we find again the good legs like the last weeks. Yesterday was super good, and today also with the team, the guys are trying to fight super well. It is something I am super proud to be part of,” Del Toro said in his post-race interview.

“Thanks to the guys, me and Juan are able to fight [for the win] again, and try to do again first and second. It was a super nice day for us, we suffered with the heat and also with the level of the race, but we enjoyed today and we suffered until the end.”

How It Unfolded

The 80th edition of the Circuito de Getxo featured a 172.2km-long route and began with a ten-rider breakaway going up the road. They were kept on a small gap by the peloton, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG doing the majority of the work in the peloton throughout the day.

The lead group fractured as the race began to enter its closing stages, and as their time gap began to diminish, a small group containing Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek), Orluis Aular (Movistar) and Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) attacked across from the peloton with 50km to go.

The trio worked well with the members of the early breakaway and injected a new lease of life into the group, but Simmons and Aular ultimately proved too strong for the rest, as they went clear with just over 30km to go.

Amongst all of this, UAE Team Emirates-XRG had continued to keep the breakaway close at hand, and it was not long before they were in sight of Simmons and Aular at the head of the race, catching them at the foot of the Alto de Pike with around 17km to go.

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) then wasted no time in making his decisive attack, using the pace set by his teammate Juan Ayuso to launch his move, which nobody was able to follow.

Alex Aranburu (Cofidis) was briefly able to keep the Mexican rider within reach, but was unable to maintain his effort and dropped back to Ayuso, with the pair then being joined by the Lidl-Trek duo of Toms Skujiņš and Héctor Álvarez on the descent, but with the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider in the group, it was difficult for them to get cooperation.

Del Toro then held his advantage and time trialled his way to the finish, winning comfortably ahead of the chasing group. Meanwhile, Aranburu attacked on the uphill rise to the finish, but was matched by Ayuso, who then outsprinted him at the line to narrowly snatch second place.

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