Relaxed Del Toro is gearing up for decisive weekend: “We'll have to race aggressively”

He may be one of the favorites for overall victory this weekend, but Isaac del Toro looked as relaxed as ever at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Whether he lost time in the team time trial or not, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider seemed completely calm. And when IDL ProCycling asked him what this week means ahead of the Tour de France, where he is set to make his debut, his eyes began to light up a little.

“I think I can be happy,” Del Toro said immediately after Tuesday’s team time trial. “It’s my first team time trial as a professional, so I think we did well. I’m happy with the performance,” he added at the time. In the end, UAE would only be found in ninth place in the stage result.

And one day later, once the results had fully sunk in? “It was good, yesterday,” Del Toro repeated on Wednesday to IDL ProCycling. “I was really looking forward to it, because it was only the second time in my life. I really enjoyed it. It was different from training, but it was a lot of fun,” the Mexican still sounded satisfied.

Because, as the UAE star once again explained: “For me it was good, because the more often you do it, the fewer mistakes you will make in the big test. For me personally, it was a good performance. I felt good on the bike.” A positive sign, then, with the Tour in mind. “I just have to step outside my comfort zone and do my best in Barcelona,” he said, taking a clear lesson with him into July.

Still, the Rhône-Alpes race itself is also a target. After the team time trial, there is work to do in the general classification. Del Toro, for example, is more than a minute behind Matteo Jorgenson. “Of course, we would have preferred to be on the other side of the line,” he admitted.

Where the difference has to be made is clear to Del Toro. In fact, it is clear to everyone. “We have to think about the final stages of the week. We’ll need to have the best legs there and, of course, we’ll have to race aggressively.” In stages four and five, the slightly easier days, he at least did not lose any more time. “Hopefully we can really race at the end of the week,” he had already said on Wednesday.

After the Rhône-Alpes race, the Tour de France will approach quickly. The Mexican is expected to be one of Tadej Pogačar’s key support riders there. So where does Del Toro stand now with the Tour de France on the horizon? “Since the Basque Country... we are running with the time,” he said.

Naturally, Del Toro is also eager to make his debut in La Grande Boucle. “I’m really looking forward to being there with the guys. It will be my first time. I just want to be ready, enjoy the first weeks and be there with the big riders,” he said. That sounds promising.

Author: David Bavin-Hobbs - [email protected]