The final Giro d’Italia podium photographs, taken in Rome on Sunday, show Isaac del Toro holding on to the winner’s maglia rosa – but not in the way he had hoped.
The young Mexican’s left hand rests on the back of winner Simon Yates – the pink jersey that had been his for the past 11 stages, now irresolutely out of reach, is worn by the Briton. Yet UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Del Toro retains a stoic smile and positive outlook.
“I wanted to win but I can’t honestly believe I’ve finished second,” he said afterwards.
“What he’s done in these three weeks is something exceptional,” his team boss, Mauro Gianetti, told Cyclingnews. “I am very, very proud of him, of the team, and of how fast he’s learned. Of course, it would have been better to win the Giro, but certainly we’ve discovered a great rider.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
With his Giro ride, the 21-year-old has established himself as a major player in the biggest stage races, and unless his results take an immediate and lasting dip, he will now populate the various ‘contenders’ and ‘favourites’ lists in similar races for the much of the rest of his career.
But where, exactly, does Del Toro go from here?
In terms of this season, he has only been earmarked for July’s Tour of Austria. But there are Grand Tours – and seasons – beyond that in what is still a very, very young career.
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One can only attempt to imagine the rather awkward conversations that might be taking place now or in the future between Del Toro, fellow GC rider Juan Ayuso and team management.
It’s easy enough to forget, that UAE Team Emirates’s Giro was most definitely not supposed to play out like it did. Spaniard Ayuso was the team leader and the overall favourite to win; Del Toro the team player. But fate conspired against Ayuso, who lost time after being held up by a crash, then cracking in the mountains, then crashing himself and finally suffering an allergic reaction to a bee sting and retiring. It wasn’t his Giro.
He is, of course, still a rider capable of contending for the Grand Tours and now, we find, so is Del Toro.
Both riders have long contracts at the team – Del Toro till 2029 and Ayuso 2028. Neither of them is likely to ever be given free rein at the Tour de France – not while a certain Slovenian team-mate is around.
And then there is the small matter of Adam Yates – as if one Yates brother wasn’t enough to deal with – who seems to have settled into a domestique de luxe role for Tadej Pogačar but who is capable of challenging for a Grand Tour GC himself.
Lastly, there’s Del Toro’s Portuguese team-mate Joāo Almeida, who has just won himself the Tour de Romandie and Itzulia Basque Country. Not forgetting Brandon McNulty, Jay Vine, Pavel Sivakov, Marc Soler and the host of GC riders the team has, along with younger prospects like Jan Christen and Pablo Torres.
That’s a lot of great team-mates, and a lot of hurdles to overcome on the way to being allowed another free shot at a Grand Tour title. But a ride like Del Toro’s at this Giro is almost inevitably going to act as a confidence boost, and as he said afterwards: “For sure, I will come back stronger. I will remember this Giro d’Italia as proof to myself that I can do big things, if I work enough to do it.”
As Ineos Grenadiers – and Movistar before them – have proven, having too many heads of state in a team doesn’t always work as well as it should on paper, and Del Toro may have to temper his expectations.
There’s also the consideration that the richest teams – UAE included – have got very good at signing the youngest up and coming riders straight out of the junior ranks, so Del Toro will need to look not only forward but over his shoulder too when it comes to his place in the team hierarchy.
The fact remains though, that he has shown the world – and himself – that he is capable of vying for a Grand Tour GC. Will this be the last time we see him do so? Almost certainly not. Could he go ahead and win in the future? Very possibly.
Perhaps next time he won’t have to cling to that leader’s jersey on the final podium – instead, he’ll be wearing it.
