"I've learned that I can be a top rider" - Isaac del Toro pushes on to find positives after losing Giro d'Italia
Cycling
Isaac del Toro entered the final competitive stage of the Giro d'Italia in the race lead but ultimately could not keep it. It wasn't to Richard Carapaz who has been attacking it all week however, but to a much superior Simon Yates who shocked the cycling world on the Colle delle Finestre.
"I'm very happy to be second, I need to be mature in this sense, a lot of people will be surprised that I have this level now, for my teammates it's not like that. Personally I find it hard to believe in myself and I've learned that I can be a top rider," the Mexican said in a post-race interview.
Del Toro did not have to answer to questions regarding his lack of collaboration with Richard Carapaz. The two entered an all-out battle right from the base of Finestre, and Del Toro followed the wheels of the Ecuadorian succesfully throughout the whole climb.
Most would've expected that to be enough to win the Giro, however Yates put on the ride of his life to distance both on the climb and put in 1:30 minute of lead. Carapaz' chances of winning the Giro were none if he were working with Del Toro after the climb, but the Mexican answered the bluff back.
The two then saw the gap of around a closeable two minutes to five as they stopped completely and in front Yates was helped by Wout van Aert. Against Visma's masterclass perhaps there was nothing UAE could do, but the stalemate led to a lot of criticism towards the 21-year old, from Carapaz himself as well.
"Obviously I'm disappointed to have lost the jersey, but we have to be happy as a team to have achieved this maglia bianca in the Giro d'Italia."
Del Toro sprinted to the line and officially lost the race lead, but will nevertheless end this Giro d'Italia in second place and has confirmed his potential as a Grand Tour rider in the making, completing an almost perfect race.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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