Isaac del Toro finished second in the Giro d'Italia 2025, but it could have been so much more. All the questions after the race had nothing to do with what he had achieved at the young age of 21, but what he had failed to win on stage 20 in Finestre.
Unfair? Probably. But that is the cruel nature of this sport. This was his response to the press about whether he would have changed anything he did:
"Of course, everybody would have changed something from yesterday, would have changed something, but that's in the past. Everybody has the logic, everybody has a good reason to have an opinion on what happened, but when you're in that position you have to make decisions fast and that's what I did, and all the decisions I had made for 3 weeks had put me in this position."
However, he made it clear that he is very proud of his performance and hopes to come back stronger:
"At 21 years old and being on the team I'm on, I think I have to be proud of everything I've done. I've been in the game the whole career. I didn't realize this until this morning or last night, of course it's sad to lose the maglia rosa at the end, but I have to be proud of everything. I'll be hungry to come back stronger and smarter than the last 3 weeks."
Very positive feeling after several days of pink, a victory and an experience he did not expect, "An incredible emotion, at the end I'm a guy who has arrived here, that none of us thought I could be here.
"The team and the guys have always been there for me, it's an incredible feeling. I think I've proven to myself that I can do things. The fans, not only from my country, from Italy, from all over Latin America. Unbelievable, I swear.
No surprises
However, he assured that he was not so surprised because he had been mentally prepared for something like this since UAE.
"I wasn't that surprised because the team was preparing me for this moment, although I didn't see it as close as it has happened. Obviously we all want to win a grand tour and being so close is one thing that has allowed me to learn a lot day by day."
His final reflection, "I think I've learned to believe more in myself, to always do things right with a smile and to have fun on the bike."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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