"It's very difficult to be here" - Emotional Isaac del Toro reflects on Tour de France podium and white jersey win
CyclingMonday, 27 July 2026 at 14:39
Isaac del Toro might have finished third place and taken the white jersey in his first participation in the Tour de France, but he noted how difficult it's been for him and fellow riders from Latin America to forge a path to cycling's biggest stage.
Standing atop the Paris podium, the Mexican champion has emerged as one of cycling's most exciting talents and a key man for UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Tadej Pogacar as they secured a fifth yellow jersey win after dominating the race.
With the final stage on Sunday seeing times neutralised mid-way through the stage, del Toro suffered a scare after puncturing at the wrong time and ultimately missing out on contesting the battle fro the stage win. After the dust settled, he noted that his place on the podium was earned and is fickle until the checkered flag is waved.
"It's very difficult to be here. You've seen today how quickly things can change," del Toro said after the stage.
"We were lucky there was a rule, but you really saw how cruel cycling can be. And in the end, none of that matters, it's beautiful. One day, you'll understand how complicated it is for us Latin Americans."
Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro on stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de France
Del Toro notes difficulty to reach top level from Mexico
Providing context, he noted that cycling's infrastructure and opportunities are more plentiful in Europe than his home and neighbouring countries, making the step up to compete in the WorldTour groundbreaking for his background.
"And how difficult it is to get through these 21 days of competition. Anyway, I'm super happy and grateful to be here today. It's simply the context.
"I think it's a sport that has been developing for much longer in Europe. And coming here to practice it at another level, I think it's simply this difference in time."
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Del Toro rode for the Mexican AR Monex team at junior and U23 level before making the jump straight to UAE and the World Tour in 2024. And the 22-year-old has gone on to staggering success in just his third season.
As well as two grand tour podium performances, he's won the overall classification in WorldTour stage races such as Tirreno-Adriatico, UAE Tour and the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- He won the Tour 7 consecutive times. And people like you have made it your life's purpose to cry about it ever since. Not that you had anything else you were going to accomplish, so keep at it.
MarkFour27-07-2026 - don’t think i’ve ever seen anyone who can empty the tank so completely as van der poel. wout himself said this about mvdp after losing a savage cx in namur years ago: “i have the ability to ride a very strong final too, but it’s always been a great quality of mathieu that he can ride far beyond his limit…”OCexile27-07-2026
- Curious, because I didn't see anything about it. But was Paul Sexias' team (Decathlon) penalized for him skipping every pre and post race interview?moy2827-07-2026
- Indeed the bestcaptmike27-07-2026
- Indeed the bestcaptmike27-07-2026
- The fact is that Lance, even in his prime with a serious doping protocol, couldn't get within ten places to Remco, let alone Tadej or Jonas. All of those mountain records they (Tadej, Jonas and Remco) broke in 2024 would have had Lance finished minutes down on every one of them. I don't blame Lance though, everyone was doing it back then and it did make for exciting racing.awp27-07-2026
- I think that this current route should remain, as the sprinters were very close in the end, and that made it all the more entertaining to watch.
santiagobenites27-07-2026 - dumolin is delusionalwhkman27-07-2026
- No talent? lol.awp27-07-2026
- ???mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales27-07-2026
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