PRESS CONFERENCE | Isaac del Toro and UAE DS Baldato on Giro's final week - "We mostly want to stay together"

The Giro d'Italia enters its final week and currently Isaac del Toro holds the lead of the race, entering unknown territory as coincidentally the race also enters it's most difficult days. CyclingUpToDate was at the press conference this Monday afternoon to learn about how the Mexican and UAE Team Emirates - XRG anticipate this.

Amongst the many questions were of course feelings regarding Juan Ayuso, the co-leadership and expectations for the final week. However this will be decided on the road, and the question of whether Isaac del Toro will resist the third week will stand until the riders reach the top of the Colle delle Finèstre.

The weather may also play a role, but the Mexican does not fear it, in response to our question: "It's the same for everybody, if it's bad it's bad for everybody. To be honest yes if it's too much it's the worst feeling for me but I realize it's the same for the whole bunch. We try to be in the front in the race and try to stay there".

In the second week of the race, UAE has raced very conservatively, maintaining the status quo on stage 11 and now 15 again when Egan Bernal launched two long-range attacks. In both occasions Isaac del Toro was very quick to respond, but did not collaborate, so as to keep the team united as a block, with riders surrounding both him and Juan Ayuso.

The team has raced thinking long-term, not attacking these days of racing despite the large depth of riders deep into the race's decisive moments. With Ayuso sitting in third place and slightly injured from a knee, and with Isaac del Toro not having the experience of fighting for the overall classification in the final week of a Grand Tour, it is a decision that will prove to be the right one if the Mexican doesn't crack.

"For sure, we are in the last week and starting tomorrow it's when we reach the hardest stages and battles," DS Fabio Baldato answered regarding this decision. "It's not that we have fear but we mostly want to stay together. We are strong, we rode all day together (on stage 15, ed.) and stayed close, there was a selection in the bunch with almost everybody there... That is our mentality, our goals for the next week too..."