Valgren Claims Stage Win as Del Toro Reclaims Tirreno-Adriatico Lead
Michael Valgren of EF Education-EasyPost powered to victory on stage 5 of the Tirreno-Adriatico on Friday, March 13, 2026, marking his first win in five years. Meanwhile, Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) seized back the overall race lead, finishing just seconds behind Valgren.
Valgren attacked and broke away from a leading group, ultimately holding off a late charge from Del Toro and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), who finished 11 seconds back. The stage, covering hilly terrain in the Marche region, saw an eight-man breakaway form early on, eventually whittling down to Valgren and Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) before Valgren surged ahead solo with 6km remaining.
“It’s unbelievable. We all worked so hard for this,” Valgren said after the race.
Del Toro’s second-place finish was enough to regain the blue jersey, displacing Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who struggled on the final climb and finished 30 seconds down. The Mexican rider now leads the general classification by 23 seconds over Pellizzari. Del Toro finished the stage in 4:43:33.
The race saw a spirited attack from Richard Carapaz (Ecuador) in the final kilometers, but Del Toro quickly responded, overtaking him and setting the stage for his strong finish. His UAE Team teammates played a crucial role in protecting his lead and securing the Maglia Azzurra – the blue jersey signifying the race leader – and the Maglia Bianca as the best young rider under 25. This victory marks a significant moment in Del Toro’s career, solidifying his position as a contender in this prestigious multi-stage race.
Saturday’s sixth stage will take riders from San Severino Marche to Camerino.
