Isaac del Toro: The Mexican prodigy is shaking up the cycling elite
Isaac del Toro, an up-and-coming cycling star aged just 21, has had an impressive season with 16 victories to his name. Who is this promising talent who is challenging cycling's elite?
When Raul Alcala made a name for himself at the Tour de France, Isaac del Toro was not even a thought. Alcala won the white jersey in 1987 and finished in the top 10 overall three times. He also won two stages. He also finished the Vuelta twice in the top ten. He celebrated a major victory at the Clasica San Sebastian.
Mexico, not exactly a cycling nation, has been waiting more than 30 years for the successor to its most successful professional on two wheels to date. Alcala proved in 2010, at the age of 46, that things were not looking good for the next generation when he became the country's time trial champion again after a comeback. But the search for a legitimate heir now seems to be over.
Isaac del Toro joins UAE Team Emirates
Isaac del Toro, born in 2003, is now following in Alcala's footsteps. In 2023, he won the Tour de l'Avenir - almost unknown - with a stage win and all the special classifications, as well as a lead of more than a minute over the competition, which mainly came from Europe. And he did so almost unassisted, as the Mexican national team otherwise proved to be barely competitive. His victory in August earned him a professional contract in October. And not just any contract: Del Toro signed for three years and reportedly far from the minimum salary with UAE Team Emirates, the best team of the season. According to Gazzetta dello Sport eleven teams from the World Tour were interested.
This means that del Toro has foregone one or more years of training in the U23s. But that doesn't seem to be a problem, as he has already proven. The man from the Lower California peninsula finished the unofficial start of the 2024 Tour Down Under in third place behind the seasoned pros Jhonatan Narvaez and Natnael Tesfatsion. At the Tour itself he outsprinted the sprinters on stage 2 and celebrated his first victory on his second day of racing in the World Tour.
The local press used the success as an opportunity to enquire with Alcala. La Jornada said the former champion about his sporting heir: "It's marvellous what this boy has achieved, he has a great future, he's a winner with an excellent physique and a good build. Isaac is in great form and he will give us a lot of pleasure in the future. It makes me very proud to see him excel."
UAE shies away from Pogačar comparisons
But other comparisons have also been made. Australia's former top sprinter Robbie McEwen, now a TV commentator, spoke of a "pogačar-esquen" moment during del Toro's attack on the final hill Down Under. With the Mexican talent riding in the same team as the superstar, the thought is perhaps even closer. But Marco Marcato, UAE's sporting director in Australia, immediately put a stop to that: It was too early for that.
And yet there are a few similarities. The mischievous grin, the grounded demeanour in front of microphones and cameras. "I'm really tired, but also very happy, and I'm enjoying every second right now," said del Toro after his victory in Australia. He did not make any claims about overall victory or further one-day victories.
The fact that Isaac del Toro is now a professional cyclist is not a matter of course. Football dominates the country, cycling is hardly promoted and only interests a few. Yet there is actually plenty of talent. At least that's what Freddy Cruz says. The Mexican has been training del Toro since he was eight years old. His brother Angel was also blessed with talent. But not with the will to become a professional. But unlike Angel, who was a year older, Isaac went to Europe. The A.R. Monex youth team has been registered in San Marino for a few years now, which aims to give privately financed Mexican talent the chance to turn professional.
Coach on Isaac del Toro: "A special boy"
This has now been achieved for the first time with del Toro. "He's a special boy, and the whole world is starting to take notice," Cruz told the Portuguese Cycling Magazine after the Tour de l'Avenir. Climbing is his protégé's greatest strength. He also has a certain talent for time trialling. However, this was not the focus of his training. And then there are "really strong power values in the 10 to 15 minute range, which could make him look good in the Ardennes Classics."
Isaac del Toro has already delivered a first taste of what's to come at the Tour Down Under 2024. As a reward, his contract with UAE Team Emirates was extended until 2029 in April. A few days later, the youngster once again justified the trust placed in him by taking overall victory at the Tour of Asturias. In August and September, del Toro contested his first Grand Tour with the Vuelta a España, which he finished in 36th place. In 2025, the Mexican won his first classic in March with Milan-Turin (1.Pro) - the oldest cycling race in the world that still exists today. The potential of the man from Ensenda was also evident there.
Breakthrough into the world elite at the Giro d'Italia
At the Giro d'Italia, del Toro outdid himself. At the latest after he stormed into the pink jersey on stage nine over the white roads of Tuscany, the question arose as to whether UAE should not rely on del Toro instead of Juan Ayuso as captain. After the 16th stage, this matter was finally settled. Ayuso completely collapsed on the way to the mountain finish above Lake Garda in San Valentino, while del Toro also lost time but was able to defend Rosa again. One day later, he fought back on the way to Bormio and celebrated his first stage win in a Grand Tour.
The fact that in the end it was not enough to win the Giro, but "only" second place behind surprise winner Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), is due less to his performance than to a lack of experience and also tactical mistakes by the team management to the end. Nevertheless, del Toro had now arrived at the top of the world - less than a year and a half after his professional debut. And the potential issue of being a one-day wonder had also been quickly resolved.
After a good month's break from racing del Toro dominated the Tour of Austria, which ran parallel to the Tour de France (2.1). He won three of the five stages, as well as the overall classification. By the beginning of August, he had won two Spanish one-day races (both 1.1) and the Vuelta a Burgos (2.Pro). After that, the Mexican prodigy cleaned up in the Italian autumn. He took seven victories from eleven starts in one-day races.
With the GP Industria & Artigianato (1.Pro), the Giro della Toscana (1.1) and the Coppa Sabatini (1.Pro), del Toro won three races in a row. After the Memorial Marco Pantani (1.1), which he curiously finished last, he continued his winning streak at the Trofeo Matteo (1.1) - all within a week in September. At the beginning of October, he followed this up with victories at the Giro dell' Emilia (1.Pro) and Gran Piemonte (1.Pro).
16 wins this season - only Pogacar has more
In between, del Toro travelled to the World Championships in Rwanda. In the 40.6 kilometre individual time trial in Kigali, he missed out on the first medal for Mexico in the history of the Road World Championships in fifth place by four seconds. He finished the road race in seventh place due to health problems. Only Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel delivered a more consistent performance in Africa.
After finishing fifth in the Tour of Lombardy, del Toro ended his season with victory number 16 in the Giro del Veneto. Only team-mate Pogacar has more. And if he didn't break record after record, the comparison with the Slovenian would be on the platter again. After all, not even the high-flyer was able to cheer so often in his second year - which, however, was also the much-shortened coronavirus year of 2020. That's why, according to British cycling journalist Daniel Benson, his team is already working on another contract extension - this time well beyond 2030.
UAE and team boss Mauro Gianetti also realise that their exceptional talent could well have the potential to become the closest thing to a match for Pogacar. The exceptional 2025 season has shown it. Del Toro himself seems surprised by this fact. "It's incredible - it really feels like a dream," he told us after his latest victory Cycling Pro Net. He has climbed to fourth place in the UCI world rankings. Only Pogacar and the two Danes Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl - Trek) are ahead of him.
What's next for the Mexican prodigy? In Juan Ayuso, a potential Grand Tour captain will no longer start for UAE next season. The Spaniard is moving to Lidl - Trek. As a result, del Toro will have to compete with Joao Almeida for the role of leader in the three-week national tours that Pogacar will not be riding. The youngster has proven that he could also go on the hunt for monuments with numerous one-day victories, which far outweigh his successes in tours, with the exception of the Giro. But these are much more fun for Tadej Pogacar. But perhaps Isaac del Toro will soon be able to compete with him.
Isaac del Toro - about the person
- was born on 27 November 2003
- holds a Mexican passport
- is 1.80 m tall, weighs 64 kg
- rode for the A.R. Monex Pro Cycling Team (2022 and 2023)
- has been a member of the UAE Emirates World Tour team since 2024 and is under contract there until the end of 2029
- has a total of 18 wins in two years as a professional, 16 of them in his second season
- To the profile of Isaac del Toro
