Del Toro again shows he's the heir to Pogačar after win in Germany; next the World Championships: 'I thought: why not?'

How wonderful it must be to do whatever you want on a bike. In recent years, that role has invariably been reserved for Tadej Pogačar, whether on cobblestones, a mountain pass, or—as in Stage 1 of the Vuelta a España—in a time trial. But in 2026, Pogačar has had a shadow. His teammate Isaac del Toro is nipping at his heels, with the Lidl Deutschland Tour as his next target.

The five-day stage race in Germany was a surprising addition to Del Toro’s schedule, given that he had only recently come off the Tour de France, where he was quite exhausted. There, he won a stage, helped Pogačar secure the yellow jersey, finished third overall himself, and won the white jersey as the best young rider. But he also mentioned in Paris that he had been battling illness during the Tour de France.

Still, three weeks later he was at the starting line of the Lidl Deutschland Tour, three days after he had returned to racing at the ADAC Cyclassics. On the opening day, Del Toro immediately showed that his legs were still in good shape by winning an ultra-short prologue. “I think my form is really good. I feel good on the bike, but mentally I still need to recover a bit,” he said.

For the rest of the week, Del Toro was on point and managed to pull off a difficult move in a very controlled manner. After coming under pressure from Louis Barré and Visma | Lease a Bike on Day 2, he struck back hard with an attack on the penultimate day. He let the stage win go to his friend Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and reclaimed the leader’s jersey himself.

He wasn't in danger for a single moment on the final day. In fact, Del Toro even tried to go for the stage win by breaking away from the peloton in the final stretch. "The plan wasn't to attack, but rather to secure my position in the general classification," he explained afterward. “When I saw the gap behind me, I thought: why not? So I gave it my all.”

For a few years now, Del Toro has been constantly compared to Pogacar, and everyone is quick to dismiss those comparisons. Of course, the comparison is flawed, since the Slovenian world champion is simply the best cyclist of the moment. But Del Toro’s comments also demonstrate a certain degree of dominance that can only be found in his great leader.

In 2025—after finishing a surprising second in the Giro d'Italia—the Mexican climber won mostly second-tier races; this year, it’s nothing but the big ones. He won the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico, and the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and in addition to a third-place finish in the Tour, he also placed third in Strade Bianche.

And to think that he had to pull out of the Tour of the Basque Country back in April due to a torn muscle in his right thigh. His victory in Germany was therefore not only dominant but also further proof that Del Toro seems capable of winning whenever he wants. “It was an amazing week, a fantastic experience from the very first moment. I’m incredibly happy,” he said of his overall victory.

He himself called his attack in the closing stages “a great effort” that “missed by a hair.” “I feel great; I’m in good shape,” he said with a touch of understatement. With 11 victories already under his belt in 2026, he’s now setting his sights on the big goal this fall. “I’m not going to do anything crazy now, and I came here feeling relaxed. I’m focused on the important moments.”

Del Toro is a real joker off the bike, but a maniac once he gets on it. That bodes well for the World Championships in Canada this September. “I’m happy with how my body is responding and how I feel. I’m enjoying life,” he said cheerfully. “I’m going to try to be in top form for the World Championships—as long as I don’t miss my flight,” Del Toro concluded jokingly.