Isaac del Toro triumphs at the Tour of Austria – Ballabio in 11th place!

Isaac del Toro triumphs at the Tour of Austria – Ballabio in 11th place!

The second stage of the Tour of Austria 2025 took place on July 10th from Bischofshofen to St. Johann/Alpendorf. In this first stage in 74 years of tour history, which started in Bischofshofen, the riders had to cover a distance of 142 kilometers while climbing 1,677 meters in altitude. Isaac del Toro from UAE Team Emirates XRG secured victory with a lead of half a wheel length. Hrinkow Advarics' Giacomo Ballabio finished 11th, with his sporting director Matej Mugerli praising his performance.

St. Johann im Alpendorf was the destination of the tour for the 16th time this year. The decision was made on Ghost Mountain, where the eventual winner, del Toro, showed off his superior speed. Felix Großschartner, also in Team UAE, was able to successfully defend his leadership jersey, while Ballabio is in 15th place overall and his teammate Zoidl is in 23rd place. The next stage is tomorrow, starting at 11:15 a.m. from Hellbrunn Castle to the Gaisberg and offering new challenges.

International competition

In the upcoming competition, del Toro will not only be supported by his teammates. At the Tour de France he will welcome sensational competitors like Lennard Kämna, who recently made his comeback after a serious training accident. However, Kämna, who celebrated a stage win in 2020, will miss this year's Tour de France. He has instead focused on cycling and is fighting to compete in top races again. In doing so, he forgoes the challenge that teammates like Isaac del Toro have been able to overcome so far.

The Austrian racing scene will be dominated by numerous drivers this week, including Georg Steinhauser and Felix Engelhardt. In addition, intra-team transfers and developments are planned. While Felix Großschartner wants to impress with start number 1 at the Tour de France, Kämna and the other riders have to be prepared for strong opponents.

Special race details

This year some landmarks are missing, such as the Großglockner on the tour route. The tour is also marked by an emotional moment: the start number 171, which was worn by André Drege last year, is no longer available because Drege tragically died. To honor his former teammate, organizers have reserved numbers 172 to 178 for the other drivers.

This mix of sporting achievements and emotional memories makes the Tour of Austria 2025 not only an important competition, but also a special event for everyone involved.

In summary, the Tour of Austria is full of tension and unexpected twists. [e-steyr] reports that the next few days promise exciting events, while [tour-magazin] provides further interesting developments for the cycling season.