"I don't know if he's still angry, we haven't really talked since" - Isaac del Toro on outcome of spat with Richard Carapaz at Giro d'Italia
Cycling
Isaac del Toro has had a breakthrough season, achieving over a dozen wins - dominating the late-season Italian autumn classics, and proving himself as a Grand Tour rider with a fabulous Giro d'Italia in which he surpassed every expectation. He has talked about that Giro, his mentally and more.
"It still hurts a little bit even now, it's not the way that you want to lose a race when you've been leading it for so long. I wanted to finish it differently but I was only one step from victory," Del Toro said in an interview with Cyclingnews. "I never imagined before the Giro that I'd have so much success. It was still a huge step forward in my career".
It was a physical step up as well, with the Mexican showing his versatility with an amazing display in the 'mini Strade Bianche' stage where he put on the pink jersey; plenty climbing exhibitions that equalled the best in the race; and handling the extreme media pressure that UAE Team Emirates - XRG had on the daily due to the co-leadership of him and Juan Ayuso in the race.
He lost the Giro in its final competitive stage, when he and Richard Carapaz didn't manage to catch the attacking Simon Yates on the Colle delle Finestre, and then let the gap balloon in the following kilometers. It was a tough hit to take for Del Toro.
Richard Carapaz leading Isaac del Toro up the Colle delle Finestre. @Imago
However, he believes that he can learn and grow from the disappointment. "It taught me so much and made me realize the type of rider and person that I want to be in the future. I also appreciate all the opportunities that I've had in my life so far, I know they can disappear quickly, so I have to appreciate them."
However what may not be fixed is a potential relationship with Richard Carapaz. The Ecuadorian on that day was mad that Del Toro didn't collaborate on the Finestre, and then took the decision to not work after the summit of the climb. Both were overtaken by Yates in the overall classification.
"I don't know if he's still angry, we haven't really talked since but it's nothing personal on my part," he says. "I have a lot of friends in the peloton and don't have a problem with anyone but I don't have a relationship with him."
It is expected that soon the UAE leaders will announce their schedules and Del Toro should be heading back to the Giro with a full leadership role this time around; whilst Tadej Pogacar and João Almeida will race the Tour de France (with the latter putting focus on the Vuelta a España as well).
Read also
Hard work
"If you see how much I work to be successful, you wouldn't call it talent. Perhaps some riders have something that makes them better than others but maybe it's just mental and maybe we just work hard to be the best version of ourselves," Del Toro believes.
After two full years in the pro ranks, he's fully adapted to the life of a top pro, and his potential for the future is beyond what most could dream of. However he doesn't quite see it like that. "I don't believe I'm a super talent. I want to believe that I work enough to be able to be up there".
"I feel privileged to be in this position. I know it's not normal and so I'm thankful to the team and all the people around me for their help. I've developed as a rider, we can see that in my numbers, but I've also developed as a person," he assures.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 18visitors 6
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
Loading
4 Comments