Isaac del Toro suddenly the main favourite to win Giro? - "I don't see a rider who is capable of attacking him uphill"
Cycling
Not Primoz Roglic, nor even Juan Ayuso were able to steal the show in the first two weeks of the 2025 Giro d'Italia. All the prominent GC favourites were outshined by yet another bright gem of UAE Team Emirates - XRG; Isaac del Toro! But the hardest challenge is yet ahead - to defend the pink jersey in the third week of a Grand Tour.
"I think that his only opponent can be the pressure and the inexperience, because when you see him ride, you think: grab your seconds when you can," according to Michael Boogerd. The former Rabobank rider looks into the odds of Mexican's upset Giro tile in the Kop Over Kop podcast.
Del Toro himself points out that he need to be way more patient in the third week compared to previous stages when he readily answered to each and every attack. For example on the Monte Grappa, the 21-year-old climber joined Egan Bernal, Thymen Arensman and Richard Carapaz for an attack that was more of a test to see if any of the GC contenders shows a weakness.
"If he still has the legs he has now, he will give it a go, then he will be even more comfortable. For me, he is the big favorite," says Boogerd candidly about the Mexican sensation.
Not only Del Toro himself, but also many pundits voice that he should race more defensively with the comfortable lead he currently has (1:20 advantage over Simon Yates). But Traksel thinks that the youngster should ride without a fear, confident in his own abilities. "At the moment, I don't see a rider who is capable of attacking Del Toro uphill."
And even if it doesn't work out for Del Toro, he doesn't have the full weight of responsibility for team result on his shoulder. Third overall Juan Ayuso can step and replace his younger colleague in such a turn of events. The Spaniard won't say it out loud, but he'd be more than happy to do so...
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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