With the company Tour of Italy at the gates, where he will be at the start, and the victory at the Milan-Turin, Isaac Del Toro is back in the spotlight. The Mexican of UAE Team Emirates He continues to grow, demonstrating maturity and consistency. But how much have these qualities increased in him? It's a topic we wanted to explore further with Joxean Fernand Matxin, coach and talent scout of the Emirati team.
This first part of the season is now over, now the Mexican will race the Tour of the Basque Country (April 7-12), then he will go to high altitude and begin the hard work in preparation for the Giro d'Italia. It's time not so much for initial assessments, which are obviously positive, but to take stock and understand what the "state of the art" is Del ToroAt the beginning of the season he declared: «For 2025 I am more ambitiousI want to do better and achieve better results, which is something that comes with time." So let's look at these ambitions and what they will involve.
Joxean, we can say that Del Toro has he taken another step in his growth?
He is a rider with a lot of talent and a lot of class. I have full confidence that he can become, slowly but not too slowly, a great athlete. He already proved it by winning several races last year and he confirmed it this year. conquering the Milan-Turin.
You have foreseen a growth path for Del Toro: is it in line with the pre-established parameters?
Yes, absolutely. But we don't place a rigid focus on specific numbers or goals. We don't work with machines. We want growth to be gradual, one step at a time. My approach is to improve every year. The results are there, but we don't rely solely on victories. Performance matters, his approach to life as a rider (and not only), his reactions to all this… and Isaac's are increasingly more substantial.
Talking about numbers is not easy, but have you noticed any improvements from that point of view?
Isaac is improving, also because he is completing his physical development. For young people, every day can represent progress. Good riders initially excel at short runs like one or ten minutes, but as they grow, they improve even over twenty or thirty minutes. Isaac is progressing in all of these aspects: Both in the intense, short phases and in the longer ones. This makes us confident, but we avoid putting pressure on him or putting excessive expectations on him.
How do you feel about him on a personal level? Is he more mature than last year? People say he's integrated well in San Marino.
He's grown a lot, even though he already was. He has a big heart and is a person who is easy to love. He's frank and responsible: If there's help to be had, he helps. If there's responsibility to be taken on, he does it. I often see him joking, but when it's time to get serious, he's always ready. He has heart and talent, and all of this is reflected in his racing.
Did you expect him to win the Milan-Turin?
It wasn't in the initial plans. Isaac was supposed to be competitive at the start of the season and then stop for the Giro d'Italia, but a minor knee problem changed his plans. Jan Christen was supposed to be the leader at the Milan-Turin race, but he broke his collarbone. We needed a replacement. But a replacement who might have helped Christen first didn't seem right.
And you told it to Del Toro...
Exact, we asked Isaac to run the Milan-Turin and to do it as a leader. We gave him this chance. Despite the intense schedule, he seized the opportunity and won.
After last year's Vuelta, now comes the Giro d'Italia. Are you ready? How can you help Juan Ayuso?
He's definitely physically ready. That experience helped him a lot. He has a perfect relationship with Juan, there is a great friendship and the same goes for Tadej and all the others in the team. Isaac is happy in this environment, and the team supports him warmly. He'll be a huge help to Ayuso at the Giro.
Can he already count on the support of the team's big names?
Absolutely. For example, when we see that he's fit and can win, he can count on the help of riders like Adam Yates. A year ago he was in an amateur team and today he rides in a WorldTour team, Sometimes even as a leader. This is a dream for him, and he never takes it for granted.
