Isaac del Toro has survived another day in the lead of the Giro d’Italia, following a very calm Stage 18 that produced very little change in the overall standings and saw Nico Denz win the stage.
This was very different to stage 17 the day before though, when del Toro claimed the win. He had nearly lost the leader’s pink jersey to Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz on stage 16, but the young Mexican roared back into form with a stunning victory.
Stage 17 was a roller-coaster for del Toro, as he had been dropped earlier in the day on the Mortirolo. However, he made it back onto the main group and launched a victorious attack on the final climb of the day.
It also marked the 21-year-old’s first ever stage victory at a Grand Tour, making him the first Mexican to win a stage at any of the three Grand Tours since 2002.
Isaac del Toro is on course to become the first ever Mexican to win a Grand Tour
Del Toro will be hoping that he can build on this stage victory and go on to make more Mexican sporting history by becoming the first man from his country to win the general classification at a Grand Tour.
The closest any Mexican has come to achieving this feat was Raúl Alcalá, who finished seventh in the 1991 Vuelta a España.
After his victory on stage 17, the UAE Team Emirates rider has a 41-second advantage over Carapaz in second, and a 51-second advantage over British rider Simon Yates in third, with four stages of the race remaining.
Del Toro, though, is confident he can win, stating after the stage that “Everyone wants this [pink jersey] and today I realised that I will never give up and I will always try and stay one step in front”.
Del Toro has also received support from his teammate and three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar.
The Slovenian posted an Instagram story of del Toro’s victory with the caption “so proud”, and so he will be hoping the Mexican can claim the title that Pogacar himself won 12 months ago.
Isaac del Toro’s teammate, Juan Ayuso, forced to abandon the Giro d’Italia
Del Toro’s chances of claiming the overall victory have been slightly harmed by the news that his teammate Juan Ayuso was forced to abandon the race during stage 18.
In bizarre circumstances, the Spanish rider was forced to abandon due to an allergic reaction to a bee sting.
Ayuso turned up to the start line with a badly swollen eye after a bee had flown into his eye and stung him, but despite starting the stage he realised he wouldn’t be able to complete it.
However, del Toro does still have the highly experienced British rider Adam Yates by his side. Ironically, Adam is the twin brother of Simon, one of del Toro’s biggest rivals for the pink jersey, but he will have to put brotherly love aside in order to fight for his teammate.
The Mexican will certainly need this support as the race returns to the mountains for the next two decisive stages. The race concludes with a flat stage around the streets of Rome on Sunday, by which point del Toro will hope to have made Mexican sporting history.