"This rivalry with Juan Ayuso is a great problem to have" - Isaac del Toro comments on potential UAE civil war at 2025 Giro d'Italia

Isaac del Toro remains firmly in the maglia rosa after Stage 13 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia – and with an even bigger cushion. The Mexican rider gained 9 seconds on all of his general classification rivals, with the exception of teammate Juan Ayuso, who managed to limit his losses to just 5 seconds.

Del Toro crossed the line in 3rd place after the final climb, which was won by Mads Pedersen, with Wout van Aert finishing 2nd. Speaking after the stage, Del Toro made it clear that he had been aiming for the win:

"Obviously, I tried to win the stage. The team worked brilliantly all day. I think it’s incredible to be the rider who has to finish that off. I gave it everything. I tried to recover energy quickly before the final climb, but I just didn’t have the momentum I needed. Congratulations to Pedersen and Van Aert."

Thanks to time gaps and bonus seconds, Del Toro emerged even stronger in the overall standings. As for the ongoing discussion around UAE Team Emirates’ dual leadership with Ayuso, Del Toro sees it as a positive situation rather than a problem.

"The way we’re racing is amazing. The other day on a Category 1 climb, there were only about 40 riders left – and eight of them were from UAE. I couldn’t believe it. Personally, I think this rivalry with Juan is a great problem to have. We’re approaching it with good spirits, and we have a very strong relationship."

Del Toro also shared insight into what happened at the Red Bull Kilometre just before the finish, where Ayuso took 4 bonus seconds to Del Toro’s 2. Some observers noted that the race leader appeared to ease off slightly, allowing his teammate to gain more.

"At the Red Bull KM, we just wanted to cross first as a team and not hand any bonus seconds to the competition, especially not to Roglič. We didn’t realize how flat the end of that sprint would be – that’s why we launched it so early. Whether it’s Juan or me taking the seconds, it’s always a good result for the team."