"I knew Carapaz was going to attack" - Isaac del Toro on the brink of Giro d'Italia glory

The Giro d'Italia 2025 is almost over, and Isaac del Toro has taken a giant step towards winning the general classification. One more true day of racing for the GC men, and Del Toro looks superb.

On stage 19, the Mexican crossed the finish line 2nd, behind only Nicolas Prodhomme (who won from the breakaway), to reinforce his maglia rosa before the decisive mountain stage. But, the job is not done yet, as stage 20 could be a killer. Just ask Simon Yates about 2018!

The UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader is only separated from the brutal challenge of stage 20, with the Colle dell Finestre as the key stage, of his first Giro d'Italia. Thanks to Richard Carapaz's attack with 6 km to go, the Mexican and the Ecuadorian left Simon Yates behind, and the fight has been reduced to just the two of them.

The day's results allowed Isaac del Toro to consolidate his advantage, 41 seconds ahead of Carapaz, and 1 minute and 21 seconds ahead of Simon Yates. Yates, barring a disaster for Carapaz or Del Toro, appears to be out of the GC fight.

In his own words after his mammoth performance, Del Toro began by thanking, as he always does, the entire UAE Team Emirates XRG for their work, "Happy to always be able to be there. I couldn't be more proud of myself and my team. I can't believe the position I'm in (with only one mountain stage to go). It makes me very happy. It's the least I can do for UAE," the Mexican began.

Carapaz's attack, as mentioned, came 6 km from the finish. Although it was late, it didn't catch Del Toro off guard, "I knew Richard Carapaz was going to try, but I was feeling very good. I was also watching out for Giulio Pellizzari, Simon Yates and Derek Gee. It's good to be able to close those kinds of gaps."

"We will see tomorrow, so far so good. I hope this can help and motivate the new people in Mexico who are starting with cycling. But I don't do it with the pressure of making an impact in the country. I just race to have fun and do what I like," concluded Isaac del Toro, once again showing maturity beyond his years.

So, one true test for Del Toro before Rome. Can he emulate what Tadej Pogacar achieved 12 months ago? Is he truly the future?