“It doesn't look good if he attacks the pink himself” – Del Toro and Ayuso set for titanic battle in Giro week 3

With 15 stages of the Giro d’Italia completed, Isaac Del Toro remains in the maglia rosa, an extraordinary achievement for the young Mexican rider in his second ever grand tour. But while his rise has thrilled fans, it’s also presenting UAE Team Emirates - XRG with a tactical headache, which has made up plenty of the narrative this week.

Del Toro was never supposed to be the leader. That role was reserved for Juan Ayuso, who was supposed to finally get his chance to step out of the shadows of Tadej Pogacar. Yet as the race has unfolded, it’s Del Toro who holds the advantage, and the jersey, and perhaps the mental edge.

On Stage 15’s summit finish on Monte Grappa, Del Toro once again proved he belongs in elite company. He pulled away from most of the field and found himself in a select group alongside general classification contenders Thymen Arensman, Egan Bernal, Derek Gee, and Richard Carapaz. Still, Del Toro was not riding as a free agent. He was marking moves, riding conservatively, and thinking not of his own ambitions but those of his designated team leader, Ayuso.

That dynamic now raises a difficult question: should UAE Team Emirates switch their support to Del Toro and back the rider currently leading the race? Or stick to their original plan and continue building around Ayuso?

Del Toro currently leads the race, 1:20 ahead of Visma’s Simon Yates. But, Juan Ayuso is in third, 1:26 behind his teammate. The fact that Del Toro is looking supremely good is no surprise, he is a top prospect, but to be ahead of Ayuso is an upset.

Former pro and Eurosport analyst Michael Boogerd believes the team is facing a delicate balance, especially heading into the more challenging third week.

"It would be strange if you tell Del Toro that he can't win the Giro," Boogerd said. "Ayuso should just follow, go with guys who attack and see if Del Toro has to let go. It doesn't look good if he attacks the pink himself."

Boogerd pointed out how much respect Del Toro continues to show Ayuso despite leading the race, "They feel it better, but the team also sees Del Toro riding and knows how well he is doing," he added.

"The proportions have probably been turned a bit. But it was noticeable that UAE closed that gap on Del Toro. You can see that he is a bit unusual in this situation and still has a lot of respect for Ayuso. He also puts everything right himself, he has hardly needed his team."

Boogerd also warned that the time for hesitation may be over. The team needs to think about securing overall victory, and that may mean letting Del Toro off the leash.

"Imagine you are in a situation on Tuesday where you are ahead with Simon Yates, and you have the legs. Then he just has to go. He also has to secure the final victory. It seems like he can do that."

While UAE wrestles with internal decisions, one of their main rivals suffered a significant blow. Primoz Roglic endured a brutal day, losing 90 seconds to his competitors and casting doubt over his condition. It is very rare you get Roglic in such a vulnerable position, and UAE should not let this chance go to waste.

"He was wrecked, or he must have something under the skin," Boogerd said. "It's quite surprising that he had to get off, because this last climb wasn't very hard. It was long, but not steep."

"It will probably be illness, or just a bad night. Otherwise you don't say something like that."