Mexican rider Isaac del Toro secured victory in the seventh stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on Saturday, narrowing the gap to overall leader Luke Tuckwell as the race headed into its final day. The 22-year-old won the mountainous 133-kilometer route from La Bridoire to Grand Colombier by overtaking Spaniard Juan Ayuso with 1.5 kilometers remaining on the decisive climb.

Ayuso was the first to launch an attack on the steep final ascent, which followed the catch of the day’s breakaway just before the climb began. Despite momentarily falling up to 25 seconds behind Ayuso during the climb, del Toro maintained contact and responded with a well-timed surge that the Spanish rider could not match.

Del Toro’s win marked a strong return after his earlier-season successes at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico were interrupted by a crash that forced him out of the Tour of the Basque Country in April. “It’s kind of hard for me to manage these long climbs, but I’m getting used to it and getting better with each race,” del Toro said. “I was not full of confidence, but I really wanted to try and take the win today.”

In contrast, Ayuso expressed disappointment, admitting he attacked too early and ultimately lost the chance for victory. “I threw away the win,” said the 23-year-old Spaniard.

The stage was also notable for the performance of teenage French cyclist Paul Seixas, who overcame a crash just under 100 kilometers from the finish line. After falling heavily and sustaining abrasions, Seixas launched a 60-kilometer solo effort to rejoin the main peloton, which at one point held a four-minute advantage over him. Despite losing 1 minute 21 seconds to del Toro, his resilience drew praise from his team’s sporting director, Julien Jurdie, who remarked on Seixas’s composure during the difficult chase.

Seixas’s crash marked a setback for the pre-race favorite, who currently sits sixth overall, 1 minute 54 seconds behind Tuckwell. The British rider Oscar Onley had earlier withdrawn after falling into a ravine during a crash on Friday, losing significant time before abandoning the race.

Australian Luke Tuckwell retained the race leader’s yellow and blue jersey, finishing the day 2 minutes 33 seconds behind del Toro. He struggled to maintain contact on the final climb but managed to limit his losses and maintain a 49-second lead over third-placed del Toro and a 56-second cushion over fourth-placed Matteo Jorgenson of the United States.

Sunday’s concluding stage covers 120 kilometers from Beaufort to Plateau de Solaison-Brison and features four steep climbs, including the steep Col du Pré at 6.9 kilometers and an 11.3-kilometer final ascent averaging 9.1 percent gradient. The stage promises to be decisive in determining the overall winner of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.