"He left Mexico as a 15 to 16-year-old..." - UAE not surprised to see Isaac del Toro's brilliancy at age at 22

Isaac del Toro was an enormous talent as an under-23 rider but this wasn't an unknown to the World Tour teams. As said recently, Jonathan Vaughters tried to sign the Mexican rider early on; but UAE Team Emirates - XRG were also on the youngster's heels. Now a proven elite, he is one of the world's very best and team DS Mauro Gianetti says that it was only a matter of time before it would happen.

"What he did here in the UAE is an amazing performance. He's progressing, he's working, and he's serious," Gianetti said in an interview with Cyclingnews. "He is committed. He has a big heart, and he's very humble. He prefers to ask two or three times to be sure what he's doing, to not make a mistake and to be very concentrated on his job".

Del Toro won the Tour de l'Avenir in 2023 and his quality was evident, specially coming from a country that didn't have as much tradition and top riders as his rivals. UAE signed him on a massive contract right from the moment he turned pro in 2024; and in 2025 he was able to finally display his talent in the form of results, not just power numbers.

But Gianetti doesn't see this as a surprise, what Del Toro is now achieving. Quite the opposite, he saw it as a matter of time: "He invests his life in this job. He left Mexico as a 15 to 16-year-old, following – we can say, not a dream – but following a goal that he had in his life. Because the dreamers stay on the sofa waiting for something happen. He is a visionary, and it was his vision to be here now, doing what he's doing. So he's an incredible, great champion."

"We knew the big numbers were there, so it was only going to be a question of time with Isaac, a little bit like Tadej. Someone else, they will maybe take one year more or one year less, but a champion is a champion, and they come on faster".

Having moved to San Marino, Del Toro shared with CyclingUpToDate after his first full year with UAE that he often trained alone specifically to follow the plans that were given to him strictly. That has paid off massively in 2025 as he soared to a breakthrough Giro d'Italia; and followed that up with a second half of the year that included multiple wins, and other top results such as in the World Championships.

Del Toro is now starting his third season with the team and is very much comfortable and used to its setup. "Now also, I think, with the entourage we have in the team, he has very good teammates that have made the difference, but also our staff, our trainer, our nutritionist, the structure that we have created here, we have very good quality, and this has helped him to progress faster."

However with great power comes great responsibility, and in the sponsor's home at the UAE Tour, the Mexican was tasked with winning the overall classification, filling in for Tadej Pogacar who has done it thrice. Whilst the climb to Jebel Mobrah saw him shed time to an in-form Antonio Tiber, Del Toro delivered by winning at Jebel Hafeet and taking enough time back to acomplish the team's goal.

It was a week of racing under pressure, but with optimal results: "Isaac is not a promise anymore, he's a reality. We see the reaction after an incredible Giro d'Italia last year – the last stage, it was what it was, Visma were good, clever, strong, and we made our mistake".

Whilst this year he will be under the wing of Pogacar in several races, including the upcoming Strade Bianche and Milano-Sanremo and also the Tour de France; he will have several chances to race for his own chances. At Tirreno-Adriatico in the space of two weeks, he is expected to be a main contender for victory.

For Gianetti, this is an ideal scenario for the team elader. "How he's come back after that special moment to win again and again, so he was able to turn a page. Then, he finished the year number three in the world, and he started the season with the same level we saw on the first stage".