ROME – Alejandro Rodriguez is perhaps the one who knows best Isaac Del Toro. He is the Mexican coach who has fought so hard – and is fighting so hard – for the young cyclists of his country. He has been in Italy for several years now and directs the Monex Pro Cycling, both male and female under 23 team. And it is also thanks to him that the Tour of Italy we had this great protagonist.
Lots of enthusiasm, but also a bit of disappointment given the outcome in Sestriere. "I don't know what happened," Rodriguez tells us in the shade of the Caracalla pines. "Really. Maybe it was a bit of tactics. I don't know what they were telling him in the team car; I still have to see it. Maybe he didn't have all his legs, although I don't think so, given how he performed in the finale. But it ended like this, it happened. But I'm sure that Isaac will recover from this experience and come back stronger."
Regardless of what happened in the last stage, Del Toro He had performed very well and with Rodriguez we did a technical analysis of the Mexican during this Giro. How much has he grown? Del ToroHow did he run? In the press room, among the journalists, it was noticeable how the captain of the UAE Emirates seemed to grow day by day. Even in front of the microphones. Shy at first, more comfortable later.
So, for a moment, let's put aside the Sestriere disaster which, despite having affected his race, remains a parenthesis in a 21-day competition experienced at the top.
Alejandro, how did you see it on TV?
He seemed to me like a very smart boy who knows how to run, much more mature than his age. I certainly didn't see the boy who was with us. He has done many races in Italy and starting to get to know these roads meant a lot to me. The other day in Champoluc he recognized the climbs and descents he had ridden during the Tour of the Aosta Valley And to me, he was confident. He knew what to expect and what to do.
But how much has it really grown?
He ran like a young man, even if he was careful, but you could see his desire to do well. He also wasted a little, but He's really grown up this last week, something must have changed. You can tell he's different. We must remember that his first victory was at the Col de la Loze at L'Avenir 2023: before that, he had only achieved placings, second, fifth, third, fourth... It was clear he had something extra, yet he never raised his arms. This was because he was not precise: he always made some tactical error, in managing his effort or positioning.
So how do you explain this change?
I think it's simple: he is part of the best team in the world, the UAE EmiratesAnd he has people with a lot of experience around him, one above all Rafal Mayka, with whom I see he speaks often. And then he compares himself a lot with Piotr Ugrumov (Mexican national team coach, ed.) He's been following him since 2021 and is also an experienced man. It's no coincidence that I chose Italy to race with young riders precisely because you can learn a lot here.
Were you moved when you saw him in the pink jersey?
Well,” Rodriguez sighs, “when Avenir won, a historic success for us, they asked me why I wasn't excited. And I, like then, I reply that I had already experienced these images in my head. I imagined them. I knew that sooner or later he would do them and experience them. Maybe not right away during this Giro, but he would get there. So somehow I don't have this amazement, I'm not entirely surprised.
A key moment was his reaction in Bormio. The day before, he'd dropped back, then responded with a victory. Did the champion's mental strength shine through?
That day in Brentonico he had lost some time, I don't know why because I won't interfere, but he recovered immediately. And he recovered because he is young, because Isaac has a great recoveryI can imagine that the others, who are more experienced, managed the rest day better (Brentonico came after the rest, ed.), but After that hard work everyone recovered and Isaac regained his strength. The levels have returned to those before the break.
A very interesting point of view…
Magari 20 years ago it was not possible for a young man to do a similar Giro and to recover so well after a debacle, but let's also look at Giulio PellizzariToday, with all the attention there is, young people perform at their best.
Let's go back to tactics: you mentioned the experience of Del Toro at the Giro della Valle d'Aosta. He also reached the podium there, but didn't win. However, one day he gained more than 4 minutes on Rafferty and the leaders…
As I said before, he also improved because he raced a lot in Italy. You yourself have seen it in action in that Aosta Valley. He was the strongest, but not the smartest. He slept a little when the good escape began. Now he's often been a cat.
Maybe it's also your fault if he's improved now, right?
Even about Ugrumov... Let's just say we're satisfied. But his growth isn't over. He makes us dream. And you have no idea what an athlete like him means to Mexico. Our country needs heroes. Isaac is now a point of reference not just for cycling, but for the sport as a whole. At Monex, we try to help kids grow, it's our DNA. If you happen to have a Del Toro you understand what you can do really something good. I don't know what else to say... (and here a bit of pride shines through on Rodriguez's part, ed.). A year before Avenir, Isaac had broken his femur. This reaction of his tells of... a person who knows how to overcome difficulties and can be an example for Mexican kids.
In short, Alejandro Rodriguez expected it Del Toro so?
This is Isaac's character. I remember when he was 15 and he reacted to difficulties with determination. He is a leader and a leader knows how to read these situations in lifeThe day after he lost ground, he was laughing, because he knew he was taking advantage of a positive situation for himself. I thought he was crazy, but he obviously knew he'd recover and made me understand he had something on his mind... No, I didn't think he'd win the next day, but I knew he'd do something. When he said, "I have nothing to lose," I knew he'd do the right thing.Because those who have nothing to lose have no limits. And yet he had the pink jersey to lose... But as I said, he'd been like this since he was a kid.
