'Not easy to finish on the podium being ill' - Isaac del Toro set to bring home third place in Tour de France and clear youth classification victory despite last-week struggles

Isaac del Toro (right) rides alongside UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Tadej Pogačar at Alpe d'Huez's stage 20 finish to solidify their classification leads headed to finale in Paris, Del Toro as best young rider in white jersey and Pogačar as race leader in yellow.

Isaac del Toro was both visibly emotional and weary at the Alpe d'Huez finish line on Saturday as the 22-year-old was set to celebrate a third-place overall in his first-ever Tour de France but admitted that the final week had been much harder going than he would have liked.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG's battles against illness in the final segment of this year's Tour have been common knowledge, but up to now it had not been fully confirmed by the Mexican star that he had been affected.