Renaissance of Mexican National championships & Hopes to see Isaac del Toro at the start in his hometown

Mexico is about to write a new chapter in its cycling history. After a long pause of more than three years, the country will once again hold its National Cycling Championships from October 23 to 25, thanks to the official recognition of a new federation by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

The resumption of this competition comes after the exclusion of the former Mexican Cycling Federation, vetoed by the UCI in May 2022 due to "serious organizational problems". However, after important changes in the public administration of the sport in Mexico, including a new direction in the National Commission of Physical Culture and Sport (CONADE), the Mexican Cycling Union was founded, now officially recognized as the entity that governs national cycling.

This comeback could not come at a better time. Mexican cycling is experiencing a renaissance driven by the meteoric rise of Isaac Del Toro, a young prodigy born in Ensenada, Baja California, the city that will curiously host the championships. At 21 years of age, Del Toro has made history by becoming the first Mexican to reach the podium of a grand tour (second in the Giro d'Italia) and has accumulated 14 victories this season, six of those since September in an incerdible streak at Italian semi-Classics.

He is currently among the five best cyclists in the world, and a key player in the UAE Team Emirates - XRG, where he shares the lead with Slovenian Tadej Pogacar. His outstanding performance at the Kigali World Championships, where he finished seventh, has confirmed his status as one of the great promises of world cycling and the greatest reference that Mexico has had since legends such as Raúl Alcalá and Julio Alberto Pérez Cuapio.

Although the illusion of seeing him wear the national champion's jersey is shared by organizers and fans, his participation is not yet assured. Del Toro himself has recognized that his European calendar is saturated and that it will be complicated to make room to travel to Mexico.

"I hope I can be there, I'm going to try, but I can't confirm it yet. It will be difficult days to move, but I want to see if there is a possibility," the cyclist recently declared from Italy, where he is racing the Gran Piemonte. His agenda also includes the Il Lombardia and the Trofeo Tessile & Moda, both taking place this weekend. That doesn't make it impossible to travel home within less than two weeks, but also not exactly easy for the Mexican.