Isaac del Toro Romero (born 27 November 2003) is a Mexican professional cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates XRG.[3][4] A climber and general classification contender, he has also achieved notable results in hilly one-day races.
 Del Toro at the 2026 Tour de France | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Isaac del Toro Romero |
| Nickname | El Torito |
| Born | 27 November 2003 Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] |
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb; 10 st 1 lb)[1] |
| Team information | |
| Current team | UAE Team Emirates XRG |
| Discipline |
|
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | All-rounder Climber |
| Amateur teams | |
| 2021 | A.R. Monex Pro Cycling Team U19[2] |
| 2022–2023 | A.R. Monex Pro Cycling Team |
| Professional team | |
| 2024– | UAE Team Emirates |
| Major wins | |
Grand Tours
| |
He rose to international prominence after winning the Tour de l'Avenir in 2023, becoming the first Mexican rider to win the race. At the 2025 Giro d'Italia he finished second overall, won stage 17 and the young rider classification, becoming the first North American rider to win the latter. The following season he claimed his first UCI WorldTour general classification victories at the UAE Tour, Tirreno–Adriatico and Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Del Toro made his Tour de France debut in 2026, winning stage 2 to become only the second Mexican rider to win a Tour stage. He went on to finish third overall, the first Mexican to reach the final podium, and won the young rider classification.
Amateur career
editDel Toro was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.[5] He began cycling at a young age and initially competed across several disciplines, including mountain biking, cyclo-cross and road racing.[6]
As a teenager he joined the Mexican development squad A.R. Monex Pro Cycling Team.[7] He has cited Egan Bernal's victory at the 2019 Tour de France as a major inspiration for pursuing a professional cycling career.[8]
Although del Toro had shown strong performances during his amateur career, he had struggled to convert them into victories. During this period, UAE Team Emirates sports manager Joxean Fernández Matxín had been in contact with him and was helping him secure a developmental contract with Caja Rural–Seguros RGA so he could begin racing professionally in Europe.
In 2022, Del Toro had a serious accident while training in San Marino, breaking his femur and severing an artery. He suffered severe hemorrhaging and had to be airlifted out. He spent 16 days in the hospital and had screws and a metal bar inserted in his leg to regenerate the femur.[9][10]
Del Toro rose to international prominence in 2023 when he won the Tour de l'Avenir, widely regarded as the most important stage race for under-23 riders and a traditional showcase for future professional stars.[11] His victory made him the first Mexican rider to win the race and established him as one of the most promising young climbers in the sport.[12] In a later interview with GCN en Español, he said that he had viewed the race as his "last bullet" to prove himself.[13]
After his victory at the Tour de l'Avenir, UAE Team Emirates decided that he was ready to move directly to the WorldTour rather than follow the original developmental path. In October 2023 the team announced that del Toro would join the squad on a three-year contract starting in 2024.[14][15]
Professional career
edit2024: Professional debut
editDel Toro made his professional debut in January 2024 at the Down Under Classic, finishing on the podium.[16]
Four days later he claimed his first UCI WorldTour stage victory by winning stage 2 of the 2024 Tour Down Under. Although not starting the race as the team's designated leader, UAE Team Emirates gave the young Mexican rider the freedom to race for the stage. Del Toro attacked on the final climb with around 1 km remaining and held off the favourites to take a solo victory.[17] The victory was widely regarded as a major milestone for Mexican cycling, marking the end of a 22-year drought for the country at the WorldTour level of the sport.[18]
2025: Giro breakthrough
editAt the 2025 Giro d'Italia, del Toro began the race in a support role within a UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad led by Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates.[19][20] On stage 9, over the race's gravel roads to Siena, he finished second to Wout van Aert and moved into the overall lead, becoming the first Mexican rider to wear the maglia rosa.[21][22]
As Ayuso's challenge faded and he later abandoned the race, del Toro emerged as UAE Team Emirates-XRG's main general classification contender.[23][24] He won stage 17 with a late attack, secured the young rider classification, and finished second overall.[25][26] Del Toro became the first North American rider to win the Giro's young rider classification.[27] The loss of his race leadership on the Colle delle Finestre sparked intense scrutiny regarding the tactics used during the battle between del Toro, Richard Carapaz, and the eventual winner, Simon Yates.[28][29]
In 2025, he also enjoyed a successful campaign in the Italian classics, winning Milano–Torino, the Giro dell'Emilia, the Giro del Veneto, and Gran Piemonte, while also finishing fifth at Il Lombardia.
2026: First WorldTour and GrandTour stage race wins
edit
At the 2026 UAE Tour, UAE Team Emirates-XRG announced del Toro alongside Adam Yates as one of the team's leaders for the race, marking the first time he had been publicly designated as a team leader for a UCI WorldTour event.[30] He won stage 1 and later secured the overall title with victory on stage 6, claiming his first UCI WorldTour general classification win.[31][32]
At the 2026 Tirreno–Adriatico, del Toro won stage 6 to extend his lead before sealing the general classification victory the following day, becoming the first North American rider to win the race.[33][34]
At the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the first edition of the race under its new name after being rebranded from the Critérium du Dauphiné, del Toro won stage 7 on the Grand Colombier and stage 8 at the Plateau de Solaison, overturning the general classification on the final day to win the race overall.[35][36]
Del Toro won Stage 2 at the 2026 Tour de France, his first appearance at the French Grand Tour, becoming the second Mexican rider to win a stage at the race after Raúl Alcalá, and took the lead in the young rider classification.[37][38] He finished third overall behind his teammate Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel and also claimed the overall young rider classification, edging out Paul Seixas by two minutes and fourteen seconds.[39]
Major results
edit- 2023
- 1st
Overall Tour de l'Avenir
- 1st
Points classification - 1st
Mountains classification - 1st
Young rider classification - 1st Stage 6
- 1st
- 3rd Overall Giro della Valle d'Aosta
- 4th Trofeo Alcide Degasperi
- 2024 (3 pro wins)
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a Asturias
- 1st
Points classification - 1st Stage 1
- 1st
- 3rd Overall Tour Down Under
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st
- 3rd Down Under Classic
- 4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 6th Road race, UCI Road World Under-23 Championships
- 7th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
Combativity award Stage 19 Vuelta a España- 2025 (18)
- National Road Championships
- 1st
Road race - 1st Time trial
- 1st
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a Burgos
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st
- 1st Overall Tour of Austria
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stages 2, 3 & 4
- 1st
- 1st Milano–Torino
- 1st Coppa Sabatini
- 1st GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
- 1st Giro dell'Emilia
- 1st Gran Piemonte
- 1st Giro del Veneto
- 1st Clásica Terres de l'Ebre
- 1st Circuito de Getxo
- 1st Giro della Toscana
- 1st Trofeo Matteotti
- 1st Young rider classification, Tour of the Basque Country
- 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stage 17
- Held
after Stages 9–19
- 1st
- 2nd Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior
- 2nd Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia
- UCI Road World Championships
- 5th Time trial
- 7th Road race
- 5th Giro di Lombardia
- 5th Clásica de San Sebastián
- 2026 (10)
- 1st
Overall Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stages 7 & 8
- 1st
- 1st
Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stage 6
- 1st
- 1st Overall UAE Tour
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stages 1 & 6
- 1st
- 1st Prologue Deutschland Tour
- 3rd Overall Tour de France
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stage 2
- Held
after Stage 2
- 1st
- 3rd Strade Bianche
General classification results timeline
edit| Grand Tour general classification results | ||||||||
| Grand Tour | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro d'Italia |
— | 2 | — | |||||
| Tour de France |
— | — | 3 | |||||
| Vuelta a España |
36 | — | — | |||||
| Major stage race general classification results | ||||||||
| Race | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |||||
 Paris–Nice |
— | — | — | |||||
| Tirreno–Adriatico |
4 | 19 | 1 | |||||
 Volta a Catalunya |
— | — | — | |||||
| Tour of the Basque Country |
7 | 15 | DNF | |||||
| Tour de Romandie |
— | — | — | |||||
| Critérium du Dauphiné |
— | — | 1 | |||||
| Tour de Suisse |
13 | — | — | |||||
Classics results timeline
edit| Monument | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milan–San Remo | 73 | 13 | 110 |
| Tour of Flanders | — | — | — |
| Paris–Roubaix | — | — | — |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | — | — |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | 5 | |
| Classic | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| Strade Bianche | DNF | 33 | 3 |
| Milano–Torino | — | 1 | — |
| Clásica de San Sebastián | 49 | 5 | — |
| Hamburg Cyclassics | — | 42 | — |
| Bretagne Classic | — | 58 | |
| Giro dell'Emilia | — | 1 | |
| Tre Valli Varesine | — | 8 | |
| Gran Piemonte | — | 1 |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
References
edit- 1 2 "Isaac del Toro – UAE team Emirates". UAE Team Emirates XRG. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Isaac del Toro". FirstCycling.com. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ↑ "UAE Team Emirates". UCI. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ↑ "Isaac del Toro". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ↑ "Isaac del Toro". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Isaac del Toro". UAE Team Emirates. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Who is Isaac del Toro and where did he come from?". Cycling Weekly. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Who is Isaac del Toro and where did he come from?". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ Pardo, Daniel (26 July 2026). "Isaac del Toro, el ciclista que cuatro años después de un terrible accidente se convirtió en el primer mexicano en llegar al podio del Tour de Francia" (in Spanish). bbc.com. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "Isaac del Toro". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "Tour de l'Avenir: Giulio Pellizzari wins stage 8 as Isaac del Toro takes overall race win". CyclingNews. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Del Toro turns everything on its head". Tour de l'Avenir. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "The meteoric rise of Isaac del Toro". GCN en Español. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "UAE Team Emirates sign Isaac Del Toro for 2024". UAE Team Emirates. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Sensación Del Toro: "Aún no sé definirme como corredor"". AS. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Down Under Classic: Jhonatan Narvaez wins from the break". CyclingNews. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "'Pogacar-esque': Isaac Del Toro shows he could be cycling's next big thing". CyclingNews. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Isaac Del Toro revive a México en la élite del ciclismo". El Economista. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Giro d'Italia 2025 - The comprehensive Cyclingnews team guide". CyclingNews. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "'We are ready for the challenge' - Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates lead UAE Team Emirates-XRG title defence at the Giro d'Italia". CyclingNews. 5 May 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Gravel Roads for Rebirth: Del Toro and Van Aert Reign in Piazza del Campo". Giro d'Italia. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Giro d'Italia and Mexico: a story renewed". Giro d'Italia. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Juan Ayuso abandons Giro d'Italia stage 18 after bee sting compounds knee injury woes". CyclingNews. 29 May 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "'Isaac has shown he is the strongest rider in the race' - UAE Team Emirates back Del Toro to win the Giro d'Italia". CyclingNews. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Giro d'Italia: Isaac del Toro rebounds to win stage 17". CyclingNews. 28 May 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Isaac del Toro makes history with second overall at Giro d'Italia". UAE Team Emirates-XRG. 1 June 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Giro d'Italia and Mexico: a story renewed". Giro d'Italia. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Day dreaming: how the 2025 Giro d'Italia was lost and won". CyclingNews. 1 June 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "'When two people argue, someone else celebrates' - Details of the Del Toro-Carapaz Giro d'Italia tactical battle emerge". CyclingNews. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Isaac del Toro and Adam Yates to lead UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the UAE Tour". UAE Team Emirates-XRG. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Del Toro storms to victory on Stage 1 of the UAE Tour". UAE Team Emirates-XRG. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Del Toro crowned champion of UAE Tour in Abu Dhabi". UAE Team Emirates-XRG. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ↑ "Tirreno-Adriatico: Isaac del Toro wins stage 6 summit finish to extend race lead". CyclingNews. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ↑ "Tirreno-Adriatico: Isaac del Toro seals overall victory as Jonathan Milan wins stage 7 sprint for third consecutive year". CyclingNews. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ↑ "Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: Isaac del Toro catches and drops attacker Juan Ayuso in clash on Grand Colombier to claim stage 7 victory". CyclingNews. 13 June 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ "Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: Isaac del Toro claims overall title with second consecutive mountaintop victory at Plateau de Solaison". CyclingNews. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ "Del Toro wins Tour de France stage two as Pogacar closes in on Vingegaard". Reuters. 5 July 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Tour de France Stage 2 Rankings". Tour de France. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ "Tour de France Rankings Tissot Timing". Tissot Timing. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
External links
edit- Isaac Del Toro at UCI
- Isaac Del Toro at ProCyclingStats
- Isaac Del Toro at Cycling Quotient
- Isaac Del Toro at MTB Data
