With third place at the Tour de France in the bag, Del Toro confesses that he *was* sick in the third week

Isaac del Toro will undoubtedly be told that it’s partly thanks to Tadej Pogačar, but the Mexican rider from UAE Emirates-XRG still rode primarily on his own strength and with his own determination to a third-place finish in the Tour de France. After Stage 20, in which Del Toro left his rival for third place, Paul Seixas, in the dust, the climber explained that he had had a difficult third week.

Del Toro came to the Tour de France to help Pogačar in his quest for a fifth overall victory in the Tour de France, but it was actually clear from the very first week that the 21-year-old Mexican was capable of more than that. Del Toro was impressive in the team time trial on Day 1, won the second stage in Barcelona, and set up Pogacar on the Tourmalet, in what turned out to be a decisive move.

In the second week, Del Toro held his own among the other general classification contenders, and although Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) performed slightly better at the end of the second week and into the third, Del Toro was indeed the best of the rest behind Pogačar and the Belgian. And yes, of course, we should mention that Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull) dropped out.

After Del Toro, with Pogacar’s help, claimed third place in the general classification on Stage 15 at Plateau de Solaison, he held onto that position in the time trial on Day 16. From there, however, things got tougher. “I was in a good position going into the third week, but I really struggled. It’s no secret that the team was having a hard time. You try not to show that you’re weakening, and to pretend that everything is going well.”

"But that's not how it works," Del Toro said in his post-race interview, as the winner of the white youth jersey. It’s clear that the runner-up in the 2025 Giro d’Italia was also affected by a virus that also struck Brandon McNulty (withdrew), Tim Wellens, and Adam Yates. “The past three days have been really tough, but the guys have helped me stay resilient.”

It’s all the more impressive that Del Toro finished third in the Tour, considering he wasn’t at his best in the third week. “I’m speechless—it’s unbelievable. Experiencing that kind of pressure is a privilege, and today I really felt it,” he said, referring to the help from Pogacar, who set the pace for half the stage for his teammate to make a UAE double podium finish possible.

"It wasn't easy—this was only my third Grand Tour," said Del Toro, who thanked not only Pogacar but also his entire UAE team. "I don't know why they support me so much and are so eager to see me in the places I dream of. I couldn't ask for a better place. Tadej shows what it’s like to have him as a friend. After the finish, I was in tears. We were ready for the battle, and I feel privileged.”

"I'm glad I was able to perform at the level the team expected of me. Now we're going to enjoy these moments. The pain is more or less over."