"I don't see myself as a super-talent" - Isaac del Toro surprised with extreme development in 2025
Cycling
Isaac del Toro has been for a few years one of the brightest talents in pro cycling however few would've expected his evolution to be so sharp in 2025, where he was on the verge of winning the Giro d'Italia and got to the end of the season with 16 victories.
"It was crazy good. I learned a lot and really developed further. This winter, the team made a plan for me, but after some problems at the beginning of the season, it seemed difficult to achieve. In the end, it was incredible, and I improved so much," del Toro shared in an interview with Cyclingnews.
He finished his season with yet another win at the Giro del Veneto, being part of UAE Team Emirates - XRG's historic season where they have - so far - racked up almost 100 wins. "I'm very grateful to the team and the people around me. I've always tried to give my best, and it's worked. I don't see myself as a super-talent. I want to believe that if I work hard enough, I can compete for the top spots."
The genetics were there and into the Giro this year, everything has clicked together for the Mexican, who is in the podium of the UCI rankings together with Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. "I think there's something in us that makes us better. Maybe it's a mental aspect, that we try to do things as well as we can. Ultimately, the mental aspect is eighty percent of the work. If you don't want to achieve something, you won't achieve it."
Historic season for the Mexican?
His stage win in pink and over 10 days in the pink jersey of an explosive and thrilling Giro d'Italia made for a massive breakthrough for the 21-year old, having finished second to Simon Yates by the time the riders reached Rome. However as soon as he began his second half of the season, Del Toro has managed to maintain his level and bring in over a dozen wins due to the more modest calendar he's had.
He won the Tour of Austria as well as three stage wins, the Vuelta a Burgos, was fifth at the time trial World Championships and seventh on the road race where he was part of the winning attack together with Tadej Pogacar and was also fifth at Il Lombardia.
However, besides Milano-Torino in March, from July onwards he won the following one-day races: Clàssica Terres de l'Ebre, Circuito de Getxo, GP Industria, Giro della Toscana, Coppa Sabatini, Trofeo Mateotti, Giro dell'Emilia, Gran Piemonte and finally the Giro del Veneto.
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.
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