{"id":49275,"date":"2024-01-18T05:04:05","date_gmt":"2024-01-18T05:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/del-toro-bolts-to-overall-lead-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2024-01-18T05:04:05","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T05:04:05","slug":"del-toro-bolts-to-overall-lead-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/del-toro-bolts-to-overall-lead-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Del Toro bolts to overall lead | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Young Mexican Isaac Del Toro Romero swept to a surprise stage two win to claim his first WorldTour victory and grab the overall lead in Australia’s Tour Down Under on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The 20-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider launched a daring attack inside the final kilometre to snatch victory in Lobethal to win the 141.6 kilometre stage and take possession of the leader’s ochre jersey.<\/p>\n

Del Toro Romero had enough to spare to throw his arms in the air in triumph crossing the finish line ahead of Israel-Premier Tech pair, New Zealand’s Corbin Strong and Welshman Stephen Williams.<\/p>\n

The first Mexican to win a stage at the Town Down Under holds a two-second lead over Strong and seven seconds over Eritera’s Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty) in the general classification with four stages of the season opener left.<\/p>\n

“I’m so happy, I’m so tired but I enjoy every moment. The last kilometre was so hard, but I tried to finish,” Del Toro Romero said.<\/p>\n

“The final climb was crazy for the team and then I tried to catch the gap from Narvaez and Plapp, but later I stayed in the back.<\/p>\n

“Then, you know, I’m out and, well, the last chance was the little climb in the final bit and I needed to finish the work.”<\/p>\n

Del Toro Romero took off around breakaway pair American champion Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Frenchman Bastien Tronchon (Decathlon AG2r La Mondiale team) and set sail to the finish line.<\/p>\n

Ausralia’s champion sprinter Caleb Ewan finished just outside the podium in fifth for Jayco-AlUla to lie eighth overall 10 seconds behind Del Toro Romero after changing bikes mid-race and having to make up ground on the peloton on several sharp hill climbs.<\/p>\n

“It was progress on yesterday and I am happy with where my form is at, hopefully during the week I will get better,” Ewan said.<\/p>\n

There were some earlier attacks off the peloton with Australia’s Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) and Ecuador’s Jhonatan Narvaez (INEOS Grenadiers) breaking clear before Plapp followed team orders not to cooperate with the speedy Narvaez which closed down the move.<\/p>\n

Luke Burns (Australian National Team) and Dutchman Jardi Van Der Lee (EF Education-EasyPost) led a breakaway from the peloton for the first 112 kms before they were reeled in with just over 7km to the finish.<\/p>\n

The first four stages of the TDU are better suited for the sprinters before the final two weekend stages featuring the testing Willunga Hill and Mount Lofty finishes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n