Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleIn cycling, what good comes early, so we are no longer surprised to see a 21-year-old Mexican take the lead in the Giro d'Italia on day 9. Isaac Del Toro is a promising talent who has been predicted to have a bright future for years, riding in a team with Tadej Pogacar as his role model and Juan Ayuso, who is only one year older, as his friend and designated Giro leader. IDLProCycling.com delved into the phenomenon that is Del Toro, based on several conversations over the past few years and a recent press conference on Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Del Toro was born on November 27, 2003, in Ensenada. At 17, he left home in 2021 to join the A.R. Monex cycling club, a team made up entirely of Mexican riders based in San Marino. In three years, he grew into one of the most extraordinary talents of his generation, culminating in an overall victory in the 2023 Tour de l'Avenir.
UAE Team Emirates gave him a chance, and like so many talented young riders, he won his first race wearing the UAE colors. He finished third in the Tour Down Under but won a stage on day 2. "What does it mean? I don't know, I'm really emotional. 2023 was crazy, but this... sorry, I don't know what to say. So much..." he stammered on the other side of the world. "It got a bit chaotic, and I love that. The plan was to go all out on the last hill until the finish."
Read more below the photo.
Del Toro wore the leader's jersey at the 2024 Tour Down Under
Del Toro became independent at an early age
Del Toro and his beloved chaos proved to be a good combination on multiple occasions. In fact, only his stage and overall victory in Asturias (2024) and Milan-Turin (2025) resulted from a sophisticated plan; otherwise, he mainly stood out when there was a lack of control in a race. Think of this year's Clasica Jaén on Spanish gravel and the ninth stage of the Giro, where he took the pink jersey on Sunday. "I've always been a lucky guy in these kinds of races," he said.
It undoubtedly has something to do with his ability to take risks. After moving to the UAE, he decided to live on his own in San Marino. "That was different; suddenly, I had to do everything myself. I was suddenly living far away from my own country and hometown for a long time, but I learned a lot about life, and I'm pleased about that," he said in December. With the airport just around the corner, teenager Del Toro quickly grew up in familiar surroundings.
Read more below the photo.
Del Toro won Milan-Turin this year
Del Toro started cycling thanks to Froome and Quintana
Del Toro is a well-rounded rider who earned respect after a year and a half in the WorldTour. He was often a domestique but was so strong that he also finished with good results himself. "It's clear that Del Toro is a great rider. I really like his style. He's super smart; he moves very well, he descends very well, and he's always well-positioned. For me, he's one of the best riders out there. It's clear that he can win this race," said Egan Bernal of INEOS after Sunday's gravel stage.
He learned how to cycle in chaos in Mexico. Del Toro first watched a Tour de France duel between Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana on television and then got on his bike himself. He remained anonymous for a long time, but when he won the Tour de l'Avenir in 2023, he sought help to manage everything. "Because my situation is complicated, coming from a different country and continent. Despite my victories, I still have a lot to learn."
Read more below the photo.
Del Toro is versatile, ambitious, and patient at UAE, a team that can produce champions
Del Toro chose UAE because of the team's philosophy. “Because they offered me the focus I needed, and they wanted to give me everything I needed,” he said in early 2024. The plans for the Mexican rider are ambitious. “Over the next ten years, I want to compete for victory in the most important races, including the Grand Tours. But maybe at the end of that decade, I'll be labeled a madman with too much ambition and achieved little. So be it, then.”
With the pink jersey on his shoulders, we won't call Del Toro crazy anymore. It's no coincidence that after only four months with UAE, he was offered a contract extension until the end of 2029. "His progress has been awe-inspiring so far," said sports director Mauro Gianetti then. His trainer Giacomo Notari even said: "He is the prototype of a winner. Take it with a grain of salt, but he reminds me a little of Pogacar."
Read more below the photo.
Pogacar 'looking at the future' with Del Toro
Sports director Joxean Matxin prefers to steer clear of comparisons with Pogacar. "There is only one Tadej, and we will give Isaac time to develop. Those comparisons aren't fair to Isaac, who has his whole future ahead of him." Nevertheless, the Spaniard is very fond of Del Toro, just like his protégé Pogacar. "Isaac is a talented rider but an even better person. He is exceptional, and I truly admire him."
Del Toro said about the Pogi comparison: "I don't have a zone 2 at 340 watts. If you start comparing yourself to other riders, you'll never improve. He did send me a message saying that if I was in that position, I should go for the stage win. He believes in me." After the race, Pogacar took the time to reflect on Del Toro's pink jersey on Instagram. "Looking at the future," he wrote alongside a photo of himself and his good friend and teammate.
Read more below the photo.
Del Toro on Pogacar's wheel during Strade Bianche recon
Will Ayuso have to play second fiddle to Del Toro sooner than expected?
Del Toro is suddenly the man in pink, the UAE rider who has a minute's lead over Ayuso and even two over Adam Yates. Ayuso hopes that the tide turns quickly and that he can win the Giro, although he said after his Tirreno victory in March: "Isaac and I have a very strong friendship. He has helped me a lot, and I am grateful to him. We are going to the Giro together, hoping he can help me. But in the future, I also hope to be able to ride for him because Isaac is capable of winning races himself."
According to Del Toro, it is not yet clear whether this task division will be reversed. "This was really a situation in the race. We mainly wanted to be at the front, and it wasn't bad for the team that I was there. But we will keep going as we did throughout the first week. We're going for the Giro win, and this doesn't change that. We'll keep trying as a team, and I'm happy and proud to be in this situation. I don't necessarily feel pressure, although there will be days when I'm more nervous. It's incredible how my body has responded every day so far; it's fantastic."
Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])
Read also
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Vacek criticises Juan Ayuso's poor start at Lidl-Trek: 'Even the slightest mental lapse'
Sir Chris Hoy shares an update about living with stage four cancer: 'I'm doing pretty well really'
Primoz Roglic's contract options continue to shrink, but a surprise new team enters the conversation
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Sven Nys spoke with Lucinda Brand straight after European Championship drama: 'Is that enough to ultimately relegate someone'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Latest Comments
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026