«A strong point of Isaac Del Toro? His head, without a shadow of a doubt." Alejandro Rodriguez (next to Isaac in the opening photo) is the team manager of the Mexican team AR Monex. This isn't the first time we've spoken to him. A former biker, he's taken on this project and is effectively carrying it forward for young Mexicans.
If with Piotr Ugrumov, which is part of the project, we analyzed the Del Toro rider, with Rodriguez we discover this young athlete, king of the Future Tower, from a more human side.
And let's start with the mental strength he displayed since childhood, which not only opened this article but also echoes Ugrumov's own words.
Alejandro, we were talking about his mental strength
Isaac has always had clear ideas: for this Avenir, but also when he was younger. He went into this race convinced that he could do well.
Was there a difficult moment? A moment when you saw him worried?
Yes is right at the beginning when he lost over two minutes in the team time trial. He saw that things weren't going well at that point. At that point, he knew he had to recover, so he did it slowly, slowly... He's always been aggressive in his racing, especially from the individual time trial.
Did he believe in this goal then?
Yes, yes, he had clear ideas in this regard too. From the very first day on the line he saw that there was no potential top-seeded man ahead of him and this made him understand that his chances were increasing. Even more so after the third place in Valle d'Aosta.
Did that podium have an impact?
Absolutely yes. It was a nice boost of confidence. But also compared to what he did last year, also in the Valle d'Aosta. There, he finished fifth and improved. And he improved even afterward, at least until he broke his femur—at the 2022 Avenir, by the way—but he'd been doing well all year. After a good winter, he placed in the Peace Race and even in the Sibiu Tour, where there are many pros. But his performances in the Valle d'Aosta were significant.
Why?
Because there were long climbs there and there were opponents who raced a lot with the professionals Like the Bora-Hansgrohe guys, for example. Isaac saw that he was able to keep up with them on the toughest climbs and even drop them on some occasions. In reality, he wanted to do more, and in the second stage he attacked, but then they put him in trouble. He recovered, putting on a show on the long stage, starting from a distance: all important signs. Furthermore, we had a clear plan after that, and we went up to the higher ground at Sestriere to recover well.
How is it running? Del ToroYou said earlier that already during the first stage you realized that some big names were missing…
He thinks a lot while running. And then he's someone who studies everything and everyone. He's always very focused during race week. He knows exactly who's going and who's not, and also why they're not going. He keeps himself well-informed, and all of this helps him understand a lot.
You've known him for several years, what kind of guy is he?
He's a simple, humble, calm boy who knows how to make the most of the moment. Now he's a bit shocked by this "wave". "My goodness, now everyone talks to me like I'm a real rider, but I'm just a kid," he tells me. Of course, he's aware that he has something more than the others.
Do you have any other passions besides cycling? For example, in Mexico you really love wrestling heroes... Or maybe you follow Formula 1...
No, I always see him cycling. And if he's not at the races... he watches the races! He has no head for anything else. I don't know, but I on the Col de la Loze I saw an Isaac who had a very strong desire. A boy who was chasing his dream, his goal.
When did you meet him?
It was 2019, when we started the scouting program in Mexico. He was part of this group of 106 kids. And little by little, he emerged. But right from the start—and I'm getting back to the point of clear ideas—he wanted to come to Italy. He wanted to do certain races…
Alejandro, was there a particular moment that struck you? That moved you?
There are so many emotions, I'm having trouble naming one that really struck me. You know, I'm not very expressive and I don't know how to celebrate. Maybe it's because we study the things we do, we plan them in such detail that when they happen they seem like a written book. We're behind the numbers and trying to develop them. Unfortunately, when you think about things too much, they're no longer a surprise.
But you celebrated, you said…
Yes, come on, at the end of the race after three hours in the press room, the we all waited together with the sparkling wine. And then everyone went home. While we stayed here for the Women's cycling's Avenir. When this race is over, we'll celebrate with a delicious pizza!
Did the media in Mexico talk about it? Did the president, perhaps, make his voice heard?
The news programs talked about it, the general ones, not the specific ones. He's been described as a young hero... like the ones we want to develop: boys who are symbols. Heroes of sport and work. Luckily, Isaac and the others are good guys who want to do it, and to do cycling. As for the federal president, as you know, he's not there. The Mexican Federation isn't recognized by the UCI at the moment, but luckily in San Marino we found someone like Valdiserra who helped us. But yes, Isaac. Del Toro now it's a symbol. On social media, he went from 4.000 to over 21.000 followers. He is a public figure and we hope he can be an inspiration to other kids.
