In Spanish, the surname ‘Del Toro’ directly translates to ‘of the bull.’ There are few symbols in history that have as much potent meaning as the bull – we grab it by the horns to demonstrate authority, we wave a red flag in its face to show fearlessness. In many cultures, the bull means power, strength, and unwavering dominance. Isaac del Toro, the current leader of this year’s Giro d’Italia, is living up to what his name represents.
He may be only 21 years old, he may be riding his first ever La Corsa Rosa and he may not have even been his team’s chosen leader at the start of this race, but Del Toro is proving that none of this really matters. Off the bike, the Mexican rider looks his age – his baby face and broad smile is a picture of innocence – but as we have seen over the last 17 days, when he has a race to win, he is not Isaac. He is Del Toro, the brave, aggressive bike rider who will give everything to bring home the maglia rosa, whether that is clinging to the front group on long ascents or pushing the limits on wet corners – risking it all for the chance to stand on the top step of the podium in Rome.
In fact, there is perhaps nothing that shows Del Toro’s character more than his performances on stages 16 and 17 of the Giro – the first real two mountain tests of this year’s race. He lost time on the long Brentonico climb yesterday, cracked by the distance of the mountain and the pressure of his rivals. Afterwards, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider admitted in his press conference that he had “not had his best legs” throughout the stage, but we could all see that. The question mark was over how he would respond to the disappointment: was this the end of a spirited pink jersey defence, or could Del Toro bounce back?
The answer was clear to see on stage 17. Despite initially struggling to follow the pace changes of Richard Carapaz on the Mortirolo climb, Del Toro dug deep to stay within touching distance of the general classification favourites and went on to recover on the descent. Once he’d gathered himself ahead of the final third-category climb which came just under 10 kilometres to the finish, he was back ready to fight. For Del Toro, though, this didn’t just mean hanging on to the wheels of his rivals: he wanted to attack. So, in the spirit of the bull, that is what he did.
“It is a hard day for everybody. You just need to keep going, take more morale and never give up in this sport,” he commented afterwards. “What happened to me yesterday is normal in cycling. I am learning fast and getting that experience. I gave it everything and I'm happy I had that day because it made me better.”
Del Toro’s attack on the final climb of stage 17 was so strong that only Carapaz could follow – the duo then bridged across to Romain Bardet, who was the last rider standing from the breakaway of the day. With this, Del Toro was gaining time on all general classification riders apart from Carapaz, and he had importantly made a clear statement that his performance yesterday had not thwarted his drive. But this was not enough.
On the hairpin bends that made up the stage’s finale into Bormio, Del Toro, in the words of Bardet “took the corners like a criminal” and opened up a gap on his two breakaway companions. The Mexican rider finessed the bends like he was born to do so, moving at one with his bike, fully trusting it to carry him over slippery Italian tarmac in a way most of us can only dream of. With that, he crossed the finish line alone, resplendent in pink, and he took a bow. It was a celebration that seemed to say: this is why I’m in the maglia rosa, this is why I deserve it.
Before this race began, we may have classed Del Toro as a rider who would come to be more important in the future of UAE Team Emirates-XRG – especially given that Juan Ayuso is yet to live up to the heavy expectation on his shoulders. Once the current Tadej Pogačar-era has come to an end – whenever that may be – UAE’s young Mexican superstar would be ready to step into the big shoes of his leader after some years learning the ropes of Grand Tour riding. It’s true that Del Toro resembles his Slovenian teammate in more ways than one with his all-or-nothing attacks, his brutal drive to win regardless of what it takes, his supremely natural bike-handing abilities and his laid-back attitude. What this Giro is proving, though, is that the future is now.
We should not forget that there are still two big mountain tests to come for Del Toro, which will push his mind and body to the limits, testing his bullish resilience. Winning this race against seasoned general classification riders is a tall order for the 21-year-old, but he seems – somehow – unfazed by what is to come. Grand Tours are as much about mental strength as they are physical, and Del Toro is miraculously excelling in both areas. It remains to be seen if he can keep it all together until Rome, but his performance on stage 17 is a promising sign. This could be the year of the bull.
“I just try to keep going and manage the next stages. We are humans, bad days are normal and I need to be cool with these days, not complaining a lot or leaving a lot in my head,” Del Toro said after his stage victory. “Yesterday was my best sleep ever in the Giro so far and I just want to finish it.”
