"Anyone who insinuates this, I urge you to speak with data and not with opinions" - UAE DS dismisses claims Del Toro helped McNulty win World Championships
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates - XRG manager Joxean Matxin has dismissed speculation that Isaac del Toro's tactics led to Brandon McNulty's World Championships win last weekend after riders in the chase behind claimed that the Mexican UAE rider contributed to the win.
The American attacked with 32 kilometres to go in Montreal, pouncing on both fatigue after an hour of frantic riding and an apparent lull in the pace as many of the race's contenders re-grouped. He quickly grew out a gap in what proved to be the race winning move.
Behind, most of the pre-race favourites found themselves in chase after over five hours of intense racing. Del Toro had been one of the main protaginists among the favourites as he repeatedly drove the pace, but Tom Pidcockand Michael Matthews have since implied that his riding after McNulty's attack led them to question his tactics.
However, according to Matxin, those claims don't come with evidence as he praised both McNulty and del Toro's race: "In my opinion, even though Brandon won, del Toro was the strongest," Matxin told Quibici Sport.
Isaac del Toro
Matxin praises Isaac del Toro as the strongest in World Championships
"You can see it from how the other riders controlled him. The course may not have been the best for him, but in terms of condition, he was superior to everyone."
As for claims about del Toro did not contribute to the chase of McNulty, the Spanish manager doesn't agree.
"To anyone who insinuates this, I urge you to speak with data and not with opinions. How long was Del Toro ahead? And the others who are talking, how long were they ahead shooting to close out?
"If you bring me evidence with numbers showing that he shot less than the others, then I can agree with you, but if they're just words... with all due respect, it remains an opinion we can all form."
Brandon McNulty, world champion in Montréal.
Brandon McNulty becomes world champion
As the dust settles, McNulty will wear the rainbow jersey for the coming year. The biggest victory of his career, Matxin was not surprised as he paid tribute to his characteristics.
"If you look at the statements I've always made about him, I've always said that maybe he doesn't have Pogacar's killer instinct, he's not as successful as del Toro, but in terms of numbers, he's a top-level rider.
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"He's always demonstrated the quality he has. Unfortunately, this year he had a virus and was sidelined for a long time, and coincidentally, the only race he's won was the World Championships.
He added: "But if you analyse what he's always done, you see that he's capable of winning the Vuelta time trial, of being the junior world champion, always against the clock... then he came close to Paris-Nice, he won in Croatia, Luxembourg... in short, his value is high."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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