“He has a huge heart. He’s polite, grateful and respectful” – How “champion” Isaac del Toro endeared himself to UAE bosses

Few young riders earn trust inside a WorldTour superteam before expectation catches up with them. Fewer still manage to do it while racing with composure, humility and an instinct for responsibility. That is the space Isaac del Toro now occupies inside UAE Team Emirates - XRG as his role continues to evolve at the very top of the sport.

Del Toro’s rise has been neither sudden nor superficial. From his first season as a professional, the Mexican showed an unusual blend of competitive instinct, emotional intelligence and willingness to shoulder responsibility.

That trajectory has only accelerated, with the early part of 2026 once again underlining how far he has already come and why the team’s leadership believe his next steps will matter well beyond immediate results.

After a breakthrough 2025 campaign, Del Toro has carried that momentum straight into the new season, winning early and racing with the assurance of a rider no longer finding his feet, but asserting his place.

The turning point came last season. Del Toro did not simply collect results, he changed his standing within the team. Victories such as Milano–Torino announced his one-day pedigree, while the Giro d’Italia confirmed something deeper.

At the Italian Grand Tour, he won a stage, assumed leadership during the race, and pushed all the way to second overall. That performance marked the moment he ceased to be viewed internally as a future option and became part of UAE’s present.

His second half of 2025 only reinforced that impression, and his form has carried seamlessly into this year.

What has stood out as much as the results is Del Toro’s ability to function within one of the most competitive environments in modern cycling. UAE’s roster is packed with established leaders, yet Del Toro has shown he can balance personal ambition with collective responsibility.

That adaptability is central to why the team are confident in his development, particularly as attention turns towards the Tour de France.

Speaking to Marca, team manager Joxean Matxin was keen to emphasise that Del Toro’s value extends well beyond watts and results.

“He’s a very good person, he has a huge heart, he’s polite, grateful and respectful,” Matxin said. “He’s a champion. When he has to take on responsibility, he does it, and when he has to work for a teammate, he does so happily. I have nothing but words of gratitude for Isaac.”

Crucially, UAE are clear about the context in which Del Toro’s Tour de France experience will unfold. This will not be a baptism of fire, nor an exercise in burdening a young rider with unrealistic expectations.

Instead, Matxin sees value in proximity. “It’s going to be very important,” he said of Del Toro’s Tour participation. “It’s clear that it will be his first time, but it’s also good that he races with the spotlight on Tadej Pogacar, because he is the reference point internationally in every race he rides.”

That dynamic, he believes, will accelerate Del Toro’s learning curve. “That will really benefit Isaac, because he will learn from the rider with the most experience and from a cyclist who knows how to manage the Tour de France in the best possible way.”

For UAE Team Emirates - XRG, the message is consistent. Del Toro is not being rushed, but neither is he being held back. His development is being layered carefully, with exposure, responsibility and protection applied in measured doses.

The results of 2025 proved he belongs among the elite. The early signs of 2026 suggest that status is no longer provisional.

As Del Toro continues to deliver, the Tour de France now looms not as a test of survival, but as the next stage in a progression built as much on trust and character as it is on performance.