No Seixas pressure: Del Toro stays alongside Pogačar at UAE Team Emirates-XRG

Isaac Del Toro is staying put. The Mexican rider has come away from an extremely successful Tour de France, where he won a stage, finished third overall, claimed the white jersey and helped Tadej Pogačar secure yellow. Rumours suddenly emerged that he could leave UAE Team Emirates-XRG, but those reports have proved unfounded: Del Toro has signed a contract extension.

Del Toro made his Tour de France debut and immediately won the first road stage in Barcelona. He remained remarkably strong over the following three weeks and secured third place overall. He was an important domestique for Tour winner Pogačar, who later returned the favour by helping his Mexican teammate reach the podium.

However, rumours suggested that everything was not quite as harmonious as it appeared. Paul Seixas finished fourth, directly behind Del Toro. The 19-year-old prodigy is attracting interest from virtually every leading team, including UAE. His younger brother Nino had already joined the squad as a trainee, while the team’s interest in the French hope reportedly caused Del Toro to have doubts. It was reported in July that he wouldn’t sign a new contract for as long as UAE remained interested in Seixas.

Whether that was ever genuinely the case remains a matter of speculation. What is certain is that Del Toro will not leave the team where he turned professional. In an official press release, UAE announced that the Mexican champion had renegotiated his existing contract, which ran until the end of 2029, and extended it by another two years.

“I’m very happy to continue this journey with UAE Team Emirates-XRG,” Del Toro said. “From the moment I joined the team, everybody has believed in me and given me the best environment to develop as both a rider and a person. Every season I’ve learned something new from my teammates and the people working around me, and I feel that I’m improving all the time.”

The young climber never truly intended to leave the team. “This team feels like home. We share the same ambition, the same passion for racing and the same desire to keep getting better. Signing long-term gives me a lot of confidence because I know I’m in the right place for my future.”

With third place at the Tour and second place at the Giro d’Italia already on his résumé, Del Toro’s next objective will be to secure that first major overall victory. “We’ve already achieved some amazing victories together, but I honestly believe the best is still to come. I’m excited to keep growing with this team and fighting for the biggest races in the world.”