Lance Armstrong, on Isaac del Toro: "In addition to power, he knows the precise moment to attack, you can't teach that, you have it"
Cycling
Lance Armstrong reconvened his podcast 'The Move' along with his regulars George Hincapie and Johan Bruyneel, they analyzed the young crop of cyclists who are impressing at the start of 2024.
They talked about cyclists such as Igor Arrieta, Paul Magnier or Luke Lamperti, although the main focus was on UAE Team Emirates' Mexican Isaac del Toro.
Johan Bruyneel explained the following about him, making it clear that he has great potential: "Del Toro still has a lot to learn to reach his full potential, which is very promising. But the way he rode the Tour Down Under was impressive. It was incredible for a climber to attack in the last km on stage 2. We don't see those kinds of attacks today with the sprint train at such speed. To be able to do that and then finish third in the GC makes it clear that he's a name to remember and one that we're going to be hearing a lot, a lot about in the future."
Lance Armstrong added the following about Isaac del Toro's attack at the Tour Down Under: "Besides the power, knowing how to choose the right moment for the attack, look one way and the other and know that it's the moment, you can't teach that, you have that. Think for a moment that you have a guy from Mexico and if you tell someone to name two Mexican cyclists from the last 40 years they can't do it (Bruyneel then names Raúl Alcalá)."
Armstrong confirmed it and added Miguel Arroyo to develop his argument: "We were talking about France, Italy or Spain, I love Mexico, I love it, but it doesn't produce professional cyclists. To me that's unbelievable. How that guy found the bicycle. What was his path to become a pro."
Bruyneel explained and gave great news for the future of Mexican cycling: "The Mexican Cycling Federation is corrupt, it doesn't work, but this team, the AR Monex Pro Cycling Team does a great job of scouting and they have a base in Italy. So Del Toro has spent two years training in Italy, that's how he learned the job. I was told he's the first of several to come."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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frieders302-02-20244
Go away ya Doper !
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Exhibición de Isaac del Toro en la segunda etapa del Tour Down Under. Ha conseguido su primera victoria profesional en su segunda carrera como profesional. Incluso en la era de la precocidad, es un registro extraordinario.
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