"My lifelong dream was slipping away" - Isaac del Toro shares a gruesome experience from before he joined UAE
CyclingFriday, 18 September 2026 at 01:00
Isaac del Toro was not yet one of world cycling’s brightest prospects when he lived through one of the toughest experiences of his still brief career. Two years before he had signed for UAE Team Emirates - XRG, the Mexican had raced the 2021 Road World Championships in Leuven, an event he started with good sensations but that turned into a string of crashes, hydration issues, and extreme exhaustion.
That Worlds was defined by a technical, fast, and demanding course. For Del Toro, the mix of corners, kickers, and the pace set from the opening kilometres made it a full-on battle from the gun. "It was almost the closest thing to what we know, it was like a climbing criterium," he told the Cyclingpassion podcast about a circuit that never let up.
The Mexican arrived convinced of his chances. However, as soon as the race began, an early crash cost him positions and forced him to ride much of the day from the back. Soon after he hit the deck again and began a fight against circumstances that would completely shape his performance.
"From the moment I started I was crashing every 20 metres," Del Toro recalled, aware that the start would be especially tricky. "I knew the first lap was going to be a massacre," he admitted, referring to the speed and the level of the national teams at the front.
A start defined by crashes
The first fall had material consequences. Del Toro broke the Garmin mount and lost key references to control the race. From then on, he had to orient himself almost entirely by counting laps on the circuit.
"The Garmin mount snapped and after that I didn’t know what I was doing in time or kilometres, only in laps," he said. The problem worsened shortly after, when he crashed again in a left-hander after encountering another rider on the ground.
"I saw the crash and tried to avoid it, but someone slammed into me from the side and sent me flying," he explained of a second incident that cost him even more ground. Still, far from giving up, he got back up determined to regain positions.
"I was really pissed off, that kind of anger where you say: this can’t be happening, I’ve just crashed again and I haven’t even seen the front of the race," he admitted. The anger became fuel for a chase that forced him to burn huge amounts of energy.
"I kept moving up, moving up until I more or less settled in with the main bunch," he recounted. But by then he had already lost part of the equipment he needed to complete the race, including his water bottles.
"I was dehydrated"
"Lap after lap, I could not find any chance to grab some water. My lips literally went dry - I was already dehydrated - because I remember not having rested at all since we started."
"Then, on the penultimate lap, I was up there with the leaders - there were about 25 or 30 of us - when I took a hard fall. I sat down for a moment; my legs and arms were shot - I was severely dehydrated and just couldn't go on."
Still, the Mexican eventually put himself together and continued on. But another heartbreak was just around the corner, when the second group rode past the broken rider who could not find any strength to respond anymore.
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"Just as I was about to enter the final lap, a pack of 50 riders behind me overtook me. The favorite was there, leading the group... I couldn't quite hang on after having been in the mix during the earlier laps. It was really sad to watch that group pass me by; I didn't even try to fight back - to get down into the drops - even though I felt like I was losing an opportunity, the lifelong dream was slipping away."
Eventually, Del Toro ranked 79th in his World Championships debut, as he passed the finish line more than 15 minutes behind winner Per Strand Hagenes. "Once I crossed the finish line, I felt okay, and I wanted to send a message to the world; I finished the World Championship, but I was left with a really bitter taste in my mouth," the Mexican concluded.
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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