Isaac del Toro Romero (born 27 November 2003) is a Mexican professional cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates XRG. A climber and general classification contender, he has also achieved notable results in hilly one-day races.
He rose to international prominence after winning the Tour de l'Avenir in 2023, becoming the first Mexican rider to win the race. At the 2025 Giro d'Italia he finished second overall, won stage 17 and the young rider classification, becoming the first North American rider to win the latter. The following season he claimed his first UCI WorldTour general classification victories at the UAE Tour, Tirreno–Adriatico and Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Del Toro made his Tour de France debut in 2026, winning stage 2 to become only the second Mexican rider to win a Tour stage. He went on to finish third overall, the first Mexican to reach the final podium, and won the young rider classification.
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Amateur career
Del Toro was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. He began cycling at a young age and initially competed across several disciplines, including mountain biking, cyclo-cross and road racing.
As a teenager he joined the Mexican development squad A.R. Monex Pro Cycling Team. He has cited Egan Bernal's victory at the 2019 Tour de France as a major inspiration for pursuing a professional cycling career.
Although del Toro had shown strong performances during his amateur career, he had struggled to convert them into victories. During this period, UAE Team Emirates sports manager Joxean Fernández Matxín had been in contact with him and was helping him secure a developmental contract with Caja Rural–Seguros RGA so he could begin racing professionally in Europe.
In 2022, Del Toro had a serious accident while training in San Marino, breaking his femur and severing an artery. He suffered severe hemorrhaging and had to be airlifted out. He spent 16 days in the hospital and had screws and a metal bar inserted in his leg to regenerate the femur.
Del Toro rose to international prominence in 2023 when he won the Tour de l'Avenir, widely regarded as the most important stage race for under-23 riders and a traditional showcase for future professional stars. His victory made him the first Mexican rider to win the race and established him as one of the most promising young climbers in the sport. In a later interview with GCN en Español, he said that he had viewed the race as his "last bullet" to prove himself.
After his victory at the Tour de l'Avenir, UAE Team Emirates decided that he was ready to move directly to the WorldTour rather than follow the original developmental path. In October 2023 the team announced that del Toro would join the squad on a three-year contract starting in 2024.
Professional career
2024: Professional debut
Del Toro made his professional debut in January 2024 at the Down Under Classic, finishing on the podium.
Four days later he claimed his first UCI WorldTour stage victory by winning stage 2 of the 2024 Tour Down Under. Although not starting the race as the team's designated leader, UAE Team Emirates gave the young Mexican rider the freedom to race for the stage. Del Toro attacked on the final climb with around 1 km remaining and held off the favourites to take a solo victory. The victory was widely regarded as a major milestone for Mexican cycling, marking the end of a 22-year drought for the country at the WorldTour level of the sport.
2025: Giro breakthrough
At the 2025 Giro d'Italia, del Toro began the race in a support role within a UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad led by Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates. On stage 9, over the race's gravel roads to Siena, he finished second to Wout van Aert and moved into the overall lead, becoming the first Mexican rider to wear the maglia rosa.
As Ayuso's challenge faded and he later abandoned the race, del Toro emerged as UAE Team Emirates-XRG's main general classification contender. He won stage 17 with a late attack, secured the young rider classification, and finished second overall. Del Toro became the first North American rider to win the Giro's young rider classification.
The loss of his race leadership on the Colle delle Finestre sparked intense scrutiny regarding the tactics used during the battle between del Toro, Richard Carapaz, and the eventual winner, Simon Yates.
In 2025, he also enjoyed a successful campaign in the Italian classics, winning Milano–Torino, the Giro dell'Emilia, the Giro del Veneto, and Gran Piemonte, while also finishing fifth at Il Lombardia.
2026: First WorldTour and GrandTour stage race wins
At the 2026 UAE Tour, UAE Team Emirates-XRG announced del Toro alongside Adam Yates as one of the team's leaders for the race, marking the first time he had been publicly designated as a team leader for a UCI WorldTour event. He won stage 1 and later secured the overall title with victory on stage 6, claiming his first UCI WorldTour general classification win.
At the 2026 Tirreno–Adriatico, del Toro won stage 6 to extend his lead before sealing the general classification victory the following day, becoming the first North American rider to win the race.
At the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the first edition of the race under its new name after being rebranded from the Critérium du Dauphiné, del Toro won stage 7 on the Grand Colombier and stage 8 at the Plateau de Solaison, overturning the general classification on the final day to win the race overall.
Del Toro won Stage 2 at the 2026 Tour de France, his first appearance at the French Grand Tour, becoming the second Mexican rider to win a stage at the race after Raúl Alcalá, and took the lead in the young rider classification. He finished third overall behind his teammate Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel and also claimed the overall young rider classification, edging out Paul Seixas by two minutes and fourteen seconds.