On Sunday, cycling star Tadej Pogacar made an unexpected gesture of sportsmanship by allowing his rookie teammate, Isaac Del Toro, to cross the finish line first on the second stage of the Tour de France, held in Spain. The moment marked a significant milestone for Del Toro, a 22-year-old Mexican rider making his debut in the race.

Del Toro secured his first Tour de France stage victory thanks to Pogacar’s decision to slow down in the final moments and place his arm on Del Toro’s shoulder, signaling for him to take the win. The move surprised Del Toro, who expressed overwhelming emotion and pride, particularly for representing Mexico on such a prominent platform. “I cannot believe I just did this, just full emotions,” he said. “You cannot believe how it feels for me, especially for my country.”

Prior to the finish, Del Toro had launched an attack on the 700-meter climb to the line, positioning both himself and Pogacar for a potential stage victory. However, Pogacar chose to forgo the win in favor of celebrating his teammate’s breakthrough. Pogacar, who is aiming for his third consecutive and fifth overall Tour victory, found himself in a supporting role for the day.

The stage was closely contested, with Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard maintaining his lead in the overall standings despite finishing just behind the leading trio. Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel claimed third place on the stage, narrowly ahead of Vingegaard. All four cyclists recorded the same finishing time of 3 hours, 40 minutes, and 1 second. Time bonuses awarded to the first three finishers slightly reduced Vingegaard’s overall lead from 12 seconds to six seconds.

Following the race, Del Toro took a moment to rally support for Mexico’s national soccer team, known as El Tri, ahead of their round-of-16 match against England at the World Cup later that day in Mexico City. “Of course we have these 11 guys ripping it up in the soccer,” Del Toro noted. “They’re doing amazing.”

Sunday’s stage highlighted both competitive spirit and camaraderie within the tour, underscoring Pogacar’s role not only as a top contender but also as a team leader fostering emerging talent. The race continues to draw attention as the top riders vie for the coveted yellow jersey in this annual cycling grand tour.