The rise of Isaac del Toro — and the fall of Juan Ayuso: how UAE’s young guns took different paths in 2025
Cycling
With the 2025 season in the books, it’s hard to ignore how two of cycling’s brightest young stars — Isaac del Toro and Juan Ayuso — have travelled down completely different roads this year. Both started with the same jersey, both were tipped to become the future of UAE Team Emirates - XRG. By season’s end, one was unstoppable, and the other was gone.
Ayuso entered the year as one of UAE’s designated leaders for major races, eager to move past the fallout from the previous Tour de France. Twelve months earlier, he’d been brought along as a domestique for Tadej Pogacar, struggled to accept team orders, and ultimately abandoned through illness. 2025 was meant to be his reset.
Del Toro, meanwhile, was introduced as the next big thing in global cycling — the 21-year-old Mexican hailed as one to nurture carefully, with incremental responsibility. He was slated to support Ayuso at the Giro d’Italia. That plan didn’t last long.
Early fireworks
Both riders exploded out of the blocks in March. Ayuso took wins at the Faun Drôme Classic and Trofeo Laigueglia, while Del Toro struck first with a statement victory at Milano–Torino.
Ayuso followed up with a Tirreno–Adriatico stage win and the overall title, then claimed another stage and second overall behind Primož Roglič at the Volta a Catalunya. By May, the Giro start line was loaded: Roglič and Ayuso were the pre-race favourites for pink.
Both stumbled, but Ayuso salvaged a stage. Del Toro, on the other hand, soared — wearing the maglia rosa deep into the race, adding a stage win and leading until the penultimate day. Only Simon Yates’ late surge denied him a stunning overall victory.
The turning point
After Italy, their seasons flipped completely. Ayuso’s form evaporated. Del Toro couldn’t stop winning.
The Mexican sensation went on a tear, taking the Tour of Austria with three stage victories, plus triumphs at the Clàssica Terres de l’Ebre, Circuito de Getxo, Vuelta a Burgos, GP Industria & Artigianato, Giro della Toscana, Coppa Sabatini, Trofeo Matteotti, Giro dell’Emilia, Gran Piemonte and Giro del Veneto.
He even pulled off a national-championship double at home in Mexico, winning both the time trial and road race.
Ayuso resurfaced at the Vuelta a España as a late replacement for Pogačar, claiming two stage wins but staying clear of the general classification battle. Soon after, his move to Lidl–Trek was confirmed, ending his time with UAE.
Numbers tell one story — context tells another
By year’s end, Del Toro had racked up 16 wins, twice Ayuso’s eight. But the Spanish rider’s victories carried more prestige: six came at WorldTour level, three in Grand Tours, while Del Toro’s only top-tier success was his Giro stage.
Still, for a 21-year-old in his first full season among the elite, Del Toro’s consistency was astonishing. If Ayuso’s transfer signals a reboot, Del Toro’s rise could reshape UAE’s hierarchy — and perhaps cycling’s next era.
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.
claps 3visitors 3
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment