Del Toro has the legs in Germany, but the Tour has left its mark: 'Mentally, I still need to recover'

Right on the first day of the Deutschland Tour, Isaac Del Toro made his mark on the race. The Mexican star secured another victory for UAE Team Emirates-XRG in the prologue. It was a sensational win, and it should be a sign of things to come for the climber, who has taken an early lead in the race for the overall title.

The prologue was only 2.6 kilometers long, but it included a small climb, which gave Del Toro a chance. He also rode on dry roads, something Magnier couldn’t do. “It was tough for everyone, but I won’t lie: I think the weather helped me a bit; otherwise, Magnier would have been the best,” Del Toro said honestly in the flash interview. “I’m really happy, and the team gave me a big morale boost for those three minutes.”

The Mexican time trial champion charged up the climb at tremendous speed and also rode an excellent descent—something we’ve come to expect from him. But the winner’s words are remarkable. “To be honest, I didn’t want to take too many risks, so I took the turn as safely as possible and sprinted full speed to the finish line. I’m very happy that I won.”

Del Toro rode his first race since the Tour de France—where he finished third—at the ADAC Cyclassics in Hamburg. So it’ll take a little while to get back into the swing of things, but his legs are in good shape. “I think I’m in really good shape. I feel good on the bike, but mentally I still need to recover a bit. We’ll see how this week goes. I’m glad to be back.”

In the prologue, Del Toro immediately built up a significant lead over his rivals in the general classification. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) finished eighth, seven seconds behind, but Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) was already nearly twenty seconds behind. In any case, the Mexican isn’t hiding his ambitions: he wants to claim the overall victory. “What else?”

The first stage of the Deutschland Tour is tough right from the start, with no fewer than 3,200 meters of elevation gain over 215 kilometers. With many short climbs, Del Toro knows the course should suit him, but it can also be treacherous. “On paper, it’s tough in Germany, but we’ll take it day by day. Of course, I’m very happy that I was able to win today.”