It almost feels like destiny that, atop the tragically famous hill that immortalized the legend of the Grande Torino, a rider with the name Del Toro would claim victory. Isaac Del Toro might not know the story of this legendary football team, but by winning at the summit of the Superga climb, he has now tied his fate to this place forever.
At just 21 years old, everything about his journey suggests that Del Toro is destined for greatness. He left Mexico at 17, selected along with a handful of compatriots to make the leap to Europe. He even left school behind, moving to San Marino and racing for three years with A.R. Monex. “When I started racing in Europe, everything seemed so difficult,” he admitted in an interview. “I trained, but I didn’t feel right. In the last half-hour of a race, it was like someone flipped a switch off. Some days, I reached the finish line completely dejected, knowing I had good legs but couldn’t bring home any results”.

Then, things changed. His talent shone through, and he won the Tour de l’Avenir, the so-called “Tour de France for U23 riders”. By then, UAE Team Emirates, always on the hunt for talent worldwide, had already secured him. Since last year, he has been officially riding in the pro ranks for the Emirati squad. And just to give an idea of his talent, it took him only two days to land his first professional win, claiming victory in Stage 2 of the Tour Down Under.
Over the past months, Del Toro has learned from UAE’s superstars, growing into his role, and just last week, he was instrumental in Juan Ayuso’s overall victory at Tirreno Adriatico. “I had to tell him to slow down on the climbs because he was dropping even me,” Ayuso admitted after the queen stage.
Today, Del Toro seized his own opportunity on the slopes of Superga. With Adam Yates by his side to set the pace, he didn’t hesitate. When he launched his attack 2 km from the finish, only Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) could hold his wheel. He kept his cool and waited until the final 200 meters to deliver the decisive acceleration, one that his rivals simply couldn’t match.
For the first time in history, a Mexican has won the Milano-Torino, and Del Toro also becomes the youngest rider to win the race since 1936. Yet, judging by what we’ve seen today, it feels like this is just the beginning of a career that will bring us plenty more thrilling moments.