Mexican cyclist Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) lived up to expectations and secured his fifteenth win of the season by claiming a solo victory in the Gran Piemonte, a classic race held between the Italian towns of Dogliani and Acqui Terme.
- The win allowed the 21-year-old Mexican to position himself as the second rider with the most victories in the current season, trailing only his teammate, Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who has 19 wins.
- Del Toro took advantage of the initial steepness of the climb, with ramps up to 11%, gradually closing the gap until he reached the summit alone.
Del Toro, who completed the 179-kilometer course in 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 24 seconds, finished 40 seconds ahead of Swiss rider Marc Hirschi (Tudor), who crossed the finish line in second place, and 44 seconds ahead of Dutch rider Bauke Mollema (Lidl-Trek), who rounded out the podium.
The win allowed the 21-year-old Mexican to position himself as the second rider with the most victories in the current season, trailing only his teammate, Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who has 19 wins.
Numbers that reflect the ambition and talent of a rider who, with Pogačar’s permission, is currently the fittest in the international peloton.
This was once again evident in the Gran Piemonte, where Del Toro delivered another true exhibition on the second and final climb of Castelleto d’Erro, a 6.1-kilometer ascent with an average gradient of 5.3%.
A segment that Isaac del Toro, who also won the Giro dell’Emilia last week, tackled with a 45-second disadvantage behind the trio of Slovenian Jan Tratnik (Red Bull-BORA), Norwegian Adne Holter (Uno-X Mobility), and Belgian Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
The Mexican was closer, at 25 seconds, to a second group that included Colombian Einer Rubio (Movistar), Spanish rider Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), as well as Hirschi and Mollema, who would become Del Toro’s main rivals.
Del Toro took advantage of the initial steepness of the climb, with ramps up to 11%, gradually closing the gap until he reached the summit alone.
“When you know the climb, it’s easier to decide where to attack, but it was really tough. I tried to go as fast as possible on the steepest part of the climb. I gave it everything and had nothing left when I reached the top,” Del Toro said after the race.
The effort allowed the Mexican, who finished second in the last Giro d’Italia, to tackle the final descent with a 21-second lead over the duo of Hirschi and Mollema, who, resigned to Del Toro’s superiority, settled for battling for second place.
Del Toro ultimately finished more than 40 seconds ahead of Hirschi, who took second, and Mollema, who finished third, securing his fifteenth win of the season and the 92nd for UAE Team Emirates in 2025.
“This year, so far, has been better than we expected for both the team and me. It’s been an incredible season. The success we’ve had is amazing,” Del Toro said.
Image: Opinion
