UAE and Del Toro explain Tour of Lombardy collapse with (very) few words: ‘ Proud of the efforts in Italy’
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Follow us on GoogleThe season came to an end in obscurity for Isaac del Toro on Saturday. The 22-year-old Mexican from UAE Emirates-XRG was the designated team leader on paper for the Tour of Lombardy, but had to drop back early when the peloton split up on the Civiglio. His team declined to comment after the finish.
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Del Toro, along with Brandon McNulty, was the team leader for Il Lombardia in the absence of Tadej Pogacar. The duo appeared to be in excellent form, as evidenced by the Italian fall races, which were held after the World Championships.
Del Toro said his knee was feeling better before Il Lombardia
McNulty made his presence felt in several races while wearing his rainbow jersey, and Del Toro used the Gran Piemonte—his only race after the World Championships— as an opportunity to attack.
Ahead of Gran Piemonte, Del Toro candidly spoke about severe jet lag following the World Championships, as well as knee problems that flared up after the long trip from Montreal (Canada).
In Gran Piemonte, however, he was already experiencing fewer issues. “My knee is getting better and better. When I’m on the pedals, it’s not too bad. It’s mainly when I’m in the saddle,” he said during the team presentation on Friday.
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Del Toro on Friday, at the team presentation for the Tour of Lombardy.
Del Toro and McNulty can't compete at Il Lombardia
When Paul Seixas accelerated on the Civiglio on Saturday and the Tour of Lombardy exploded, Del Toro was one of the first to break away.
McNulty joined the first group of pursuers but proved unable to keep up with Seixas. The American ultimately sprinted from the chasing group to finish fifth. Del Toro finished 28th, just under five minutes behind.
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In a brief press release, UAE Emirates-XRG didn’t waste any words on Del Toro’s struggles in northern Italy. The focus was on McNulty’s fifth-place finish. “It was another great ride in the rainbow jersey for Brandon—good job!”
Del Toro wasn’t mentioned in a subsequent post either. “Proud of the efforts in Italy, which earned Brandon his best finish in a Monument.”
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Del Toro reacts shortly after Lombardy
Incidentally, BiciGoga reported on Sunday that it had spoken briefly with Del Toro. “This wasn’t what I’d hoped for,” the climber reportedly said. He also added: “I gave it my all, but my knee was bothering me, and I was tired from all the traveling on the final climbs. It wasn’t my best day on the bike.”
A well-deserved break now awaits the Mexican. In 2026, Del Toro took another major step forward in his development, winning major WorldTour races such as the UAE Tour, the Tirreno-Adriatico, and the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. He also finished third in his very first Tour de France, right behind overall winner Pogacar.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- What a year for Del Toro. Future Grand Tour winner, surely.patriciaw11-10-2026
- Why did UAE make him team leader if they already knew the knee was bothering him? Seems like a strange decision.lindae11-10-2026
- Seixas really blew the race apart on the Civiglio. Del Toro’s 28th looks poor on paper, but context matters here. One bad day doesn’t erase the season he’s had.cyclechamp4511-10-2026
- McNulty’s fifth in the rainbow jersey was excellent, but it’s a bit odd that the team didn’t even mention Del Toro’s problems. If the knee was still hurting, riding the final climbs must have been brutal.robert6511-10-2026
- Tough way to finish the season, especially with the knee trouble and all that travel. Del Toro has had an incredible 2026 though—winning the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico before taking third at his first Tour de France is huge. Hopefully he gets a proper rest.gearguru3311-10-2026
- Why is the Chrono des Nations only “three-quarters of an hour”? Is that the usual length of the time trial, or just an estimate?sprocketspiny10-10-2026
- Great ride from Seixas, but I’m slightly surprised Evenepoel couldn’t follow when the pace went up. Was it simply fatigue, or did the climb not suit him this year?cyclechamp4510-10-2026
- Heavy legs after such a long season, yet he still wins the sprint for fourth. That’s a proper professional mentality. Best of luck at the Chrono des Nations.julien10-10-2026
- Seixas was phenomenal on the Civiglio. Evenepoel’s honesty is refreshing too—fourth place on a bad day still shows just how strong he is.tourdeforce910-10-2026
- I’m a bit confused by the photo finish explanation—if the image shows time rather than distance, how can it prove who crossed first? And why was the result not explained immediately after the race?velodromevirtuoso109-10-2026
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