Isaac del Toro had a brilliant breakthrough at the end of the 2023 season with the unexpected victory in the Tour de l’Avenir and then was signed by UAE Team E3mirates XRG. In 2024 he raced some lower level races quite successfully, but struggled in his Grand Tour debut. However, 2025 there is a new year to impress.
The Mexican will race the Giro d’Italia this coming spring, alongside Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates. However, he’s not limited to being a gregario, he has the legs for more. “The team is giving me the space to go all out from day one and if I can go for the GC, I want to be ready for it,” he told In de Leiderstrui.
“I will also help our leaders, but it’s great to see the space I have to race freely and enjoy my second Grand Tour.”
A third place at the Tour Down Under, a fourth at Tirreno-Adriatico, a seventh at the Itzulia del Pais Vasco and an overall win at the Vuelta a Asturias marked his first few months as a pro. The 21-year-old is a very promising rider, but he goes unnoticed in a team with so many overall leaders and so many young talents like Del Toro, who are signed year after year.
Asked how he sees himself against Tadej Pogacar, he shrugs off the comparisons: “I don’t want that at all, I don’t have a Zone 2 that’s 340 watts. If you start comparing yourself to other riders, you will never improve. I try to improve every day, but I only look at my own numbers. I’m talking about all aspects of cycling, but right now especially nutrition. Ultimately, everything the team offers me helps me to be my best self on the bike.”
It’s easy to forget that Del Toro grew up watching the Tour de France battles of recent years, including the victories of Egan Bernal and Tadej Pogacar as a kid. He especially remembers the battles of Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana. Being in the same peloton is in itself a great source of pride, especially in a country where very few cyclists reach this level.
“It’s great that I’m now racing among all those big stars and have to beat them. I know cycling is not a big sport in my country, but I’m proud that everyone who knows the sport respects me for what I do. That means a lot to me, the Mexicans who love cycling love me. Sometimes I don’t understand it, but in Mexico they are crazy about me. I hope to give them back the results, anyway it’s nice to be there in winter,” he added.
Source: www.ciclismoaldia.es