Pogacar faces more than just Ayuso: Another UAE teammate emerges as World Championships threat
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Follow us on GoogleHe had three wins to his name after 2024, but Isaac Del Toro now has thirteen victories in his still-young career. The 21-year-old Mexican continues to win for UAE Team Emirates-XRG and, if it were up to him, he would soon be doing the same for Mexico's national team. Tadej Pogacar should be prepared...
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Del Toro won the Tour de l'Avenir in 2023, signed with UAE, and triumphed in his first year in the WorldTour in the Tour Down Under, and even won a stage and the overall in Asturias. This year, he took a big step forward, although he was still riding in support of leaders such as Pogacar and Juan Ayuso. The turning point actually came in the Giro d'Italia, purely based on performance.
After Ayuso and Adam Yates dropped out as leaders, Del Toro stepped up and rode in the pink jersey for a long time. He finished second in Rome, which earned him a new status. And things clearly started to pick up, with three stage wins and overall victory in the Tour of Austria, two victories in the Spanish one-day race, and overall victory in the Tour of Burgos.
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Del Toro won a stage in the Giro and finished second in the overall classification
Del Toro also proves his talent in the GP Industria & Artigianato
Although it may be in somewhat smaller races, Del Toro also proved his class on Sunday in the GP Industria & Artigianato. He won again, beating Christian Scaroni (Astana). “I kept an eye on him and Davide (Piganzoli, ed.), because I knew they were both strong. We had to work together because the chasing group was close.”
Del Toro ultimately finished it off after Piganzoli was dropped. “I told my teammates that we had to try something different, and I also discussed it with Scaroni. He was very strong, and I didn't want to make the mistake of being too aggressive. The fact that we continued to ride together and kept up the pressure saved us.”
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Del Toro looks forward to World Championships against Pogacar
It's clear: Del Toro is in excellent shape. And that with the World Cycling Championships in Rwanda scheduled for September. The Mexican will compete against many of his UAE teammates, including Pogacar (Slovenia) and Ayuso (Spain). “I'm going to try to be among the leaders there too, but like for many others, it won't be an easy race.”
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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'.
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Latest Comments
- 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
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026