“He deserved to be leader of the Giro” – UAE boss reveals Isaac del Toro turned down leadership to ride Tour with Tadej Pogacar before signing contract extension
CyclingThursday, 06 August 2026 at 14:00
Isaac del Toro personally turned down the chance to lead UAE Team Emirates – XRG at the 2026 Giro d’Italia, instead asking to ride the Tour de France alongside Tadej Pogacar.
The decision has taken on fresh significance after the 22-year-old committed his future to UAE until the end of 2031, only days after reports of uncertainty surrounding his long-term role within the team.
Del Toro wanted experience of cycling’s biggest race and the opportunity to learn inside the structure built around Pogacar. He left France with third place overall, the white jersey and a stage victory in Barcelona as the Slovenian secured his fifth yellow jersey.
UAE sports manager Joxean Matxin has now revealed that the original plan was to send Del Toro back to the Giro as outright leader, one year after his breakthrough second place behind Simon Yates.
Del Toro asked UAE for Tour de France place
“In principle, we had proposed to him to do the Giro d’Italia,” Matxin told ESPN Mexico. Del Toro had started the 2025 Giro expected to support Juan Ayuso but emerged as UAE’s strongest contender, taking the pink jersey, winning the stage to Bormio and holding the race lead until the penultimate day.
UAE were prepared to build their 2026 Giro campaign around him from the outset. Del Toro responded by asking for a place at the Tour. “And he asks, ‘Why not do the Tour and learn and take that experience for the future?’” Matxin explained. “We ask him the fact that he deserves to be the leader of the Giro, he asks why not acquire experience this year in the Tour.”
Matxin was clear about the level Del Toro had already reached: “He deserved to be leader of the Giro.”
UAE accepted his request and selected him in a Tour squad centred on Pogacar. Del Toro won on Montjuic on stage two and remained among the strongest general classification riders throughout his debut.
Pogacar later helped protect his teammate’s podium position as Paul Seixas threatened to move ahead during the final mountain stages. Del Toro eventually finished behind only Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, becoming the first Mexican rider to stand on the Tour de France podium.
Del Toro finished the Tour 3rd overall and won the White Jersey
Matxin hails Del Toro-Pogacar connection
Matxin believes Del Toro’s performance vindicated the decision to leave the Giro leadership opportunity behind. “In the end, he has done a Tour in an exemplary way,” he said. “He has learned from the best person he could learn from, from the winner of five Tours de France. And on top of that, he has achieved that connection that is possibly rarely seen between two riders of their calibre.”
Del Toro’s Tour was complicated by sinusitis and a sore throat during parts of the race. Matxin attributed the problem to repeated changes between cold conditions and extreme heat.
“Obviously, sore throat, sinusitis when you are cold, when you really get a little cold, in moments of extreme heat,” he said. “These temperature changes are what make your throat hurt, you have a sore throat and you have that discomfort.”
Tests for COVID and influenza repeatedly returned negative, allowing Del Toro to remain in the race and continue defending his place near the top of the general classification. The podium completed a season in which he had already won the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour Auvergne – Rhone-Alpes.
His contract extension followed reports that his camp was seeking clarity over UAE’s future hierarchy amid the team’s reported interest in Seixas. The new agreement now keeps Del Toro with the team until he is 28.
UAE have not announced his next Grand Tour programme. They had already been prepared to hand him control of the Giro before he chose to spend three weeks beside Pogacar at the Tour.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- it is reported on other sites that he signed his extension with UAEmij06-08-2026
- Why are we recycling old podcast takes from many months ago and Pogacar already said UAE is aboard with him on the OL plans. This is just lazy journalism if even that.miguel06-08-2026
- he wants clarity on the team's plans. what clarity does the team have on his plans to remain a hard-worker once he gets a longer contract?mij06-08-2026
- not only do they deserve it, the racing is fantastic. yesterday's stage was amazing.mij06-08-2026
- I agree, Remco did have bigger power output in the lower and punchier mountains, but when they would have got into the high mountains, then the picture would be turned around. I still think Jonas is a better high mountain climber and would have beaten Remco on Alp d'Huez. Maybe we will never know, I have the feeling Jonas will retire. He has nothing more to prove: He won all three GT, TdF twice... he won all the major one week stage races... he can't seem to win one day races... he crashed out on a few occasions and hurt himself pretty badly... him staying and beating other cyclists that are not Pogačar is BS... he knows he will never again beat Pogi, regardless what he says... SO??? Retirement !!!PogiSloFans06-08-2026
- I can't imagine saying "no" to a countryman making this request to represent your company to help the team win.mij06-08-2026
- Learning isn't just about acquiring new skills—it’s a direct investment in your future. Every time you dedicate time to grow, you reaffirm your commitment to becoming a better version of yourself and prepare for bigger opportunities ahead.raulmejia06-08-2026
- I get the impression that VIngegaard doesnt actually like to race bike-races so I dont think he will.miguel06-08-2026
- Look, Pogi is my compatriot and I know a little more about him then ordinary commentators. I have inside information. Pogi's estimated VO2 max is around 90 to 96 mL/kg/min, some are saying amost up to 100, which places him among the highest ever suggested for an endurance athlete. However, it's not the single reason he dominates. His true advantage comes from a combination of: 1. An exceptionally high VO2 max. 2. The ability to ride at an unusually high percentage of it for long periods. 3. Outstanding cycling efficiency. 4. Rapid recovery. 5. Exceptional race intelligence. He knows exactly what's happening in each race, so on many occasions he changes the teams plans and tactics between the race and put's his domestiques in a different position. If that fales, he goes by himself and says "bye bye... see you in the douches." 6. My country of Slovenia is widely recognized as one of the top countries in the world for athletic success per capita. With a population of just around 2. million, we consistently rank near the very peak of global sporting achievements. Our sports stars are: Pogi (the G.O.A.T. of cycling), Primož Roglič (a former high profile professional cyclist that used to be a ski jumper), Luka Dončić (NBA star), Anže Kopitar (NHL star), Janja Garnbret (the greatest competitive sport climber of all time), Tina Maze (a legendary alpine skiing champion with multiple Olympic gold medals and WC), Domen Prevc (the best ski jumper in the world), Nika Prevc (Domen's sister, also the best female ski jumper in the world... 3 years in a row)... Need I say more !!!PogiSloFans06-08-2026
- > All in all, these estimates look so confusing. Maybe they aren’t that confusing. Once you account for bike weight and aerodynamics, it’s still possible that Pantani had to put in more effort than Pogačar, even though he climbed slower.averagecyclist06-08-2026
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