Isaac del Toro makes history with second overall at Giro d’Italia

Crossing the finish line in Rome amongst the peloton, Isaac del Toro brought the 2025 Giro d’Italia to a historic close for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. In placing second overall on his Giro debut, the Mexican becomes the second-youngest podium finisher in race history and the first from his country to ever win the young rider’s classification.

In fact, Del Toro is the first Mexican to ever wear the Maglia Bianca, adding this to a long list of accomplishments he has achieved over the last three weeks. It has been a stellar race for both the 21-year-old and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, all of whom took to the podium in Rome to celebrate winning the team classification.

The Emirati squad end the first Grand Tour of the season with two memorable stage victories, taken by Juan Ayuso and Del Toro. The first, won by Ayuso on stage 7, saw the Spaniard triumph on the race’s first summit finish, with his Mexican teammate crossing the line in second. It was a maiden Grand Tour stage victory for Ayuso, with Del Toro following suit in the third week.

Before Del Toro sealed his own stage win, however, there was plenty of racing to be done, including the Strade Bianche-esque day on stage 9. Over the white gravel roads of Tuscany, the 21-year-old went above and beyond to finish second on the day, propelling himself into the Maglia Rosa as the leader of the Giro d’Italia. It was a lead that he would not give up without a fight.

Through the next 11 days of racing, Del Toro came of age on the grandest stage, riding with a maturity beyond his years to have Mexico dreaming of its first Grand Tour success. Along the way, the 21-year-old’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates rallied around the youngster and left every ounce of energy on the road to Rome.

Stage 17 brought perhaps the race highlight for the Emirati squad, as Del Toro produced a scintillating performance to ride clear of his rivals and take the stage victory in Bormio. It was the first time that a Mexican had won a Giro d’Italia stage in 23 years, and for the man known as El Torito, it was a first Grand Tour stage win of his fledgling career. This victory, earned in the iconic Maglia Rosa, will be long remembered.

Although Saturday’s stage 20 ultimately ended with Del Toro being dispossessed of his race lead at the last opportunity, by the eventual Giro d’Italia champion Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike), it also brought another slice of history for the rider who has come to define the 2025 Giro.

In surpassing Fausto Coppi’s record from the 1940 Giro d’Italia, Del Toro became the youngest rider in history to wear the Maglia Rosa for 11 consecutive stages. There is perhaps no greater mark of the scale of Del Toro’s accomplishments in this Giro d’Italia.

Ending the race with Del Toro on the podium, Brandon McNulty in 9th, victory in the team classification and a credible 7th place for Filippo Baroncini on stage 21, UAE Team Emirates-XRG can be proud of everything it has achieved between the Grande Partenza in Albania and Sunday’s final stage in Rome.

None of it would have been possible without our staff, our partners and our riders – Isaac del Toro, Brandon McNulty, Adam Yates, Rafał Majka, Igor Arrieta, Filippio Baroncini, Juan Ayuso and Jay Vine.

For Del Toro and Mexican cycling, this is just the start.

Del Toro: “It is such an incredible feeling to be in this position. It is a surprise for a lot of people and it is incredible to prove to myself that I can do it and that I am able to do it.

“The team was always there, the guys were always there to support me because they see something in me. Thanks to the guys, I am in this position, and I cannot be more proud and happy about this.

“For sure, it is not nice to lose the [pink] jersey, but I need to be mature with this and I need to take this to be hungry in the future. Sometimes the guy who makes fewer mistakes is who wins, and for sure, I will come back stronger.

“I will remember this Giro d’Italia as proof to myself that I can do big things, if I work enough to do it. Of course, it will be harder every day but I will try to enjoy it as well, and always be there. I just need to enjoy it and keep on working as hard as I can.”

Giro d’Italia 2025 stage 21 results

1. Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) 3:12:19

2. Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) s.t

3. Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) s.t

7. Filippo Baroncini (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) s.t

General classification (final) after Giro d’Italia stage 21

1. Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) 82:31:01

2. Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +3:56

3. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) +4:43

9. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +13:36

Over in Scandinavia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG ended the 2025 Tour of Norway with Jan Christen on the podium. The 20-year-old Swiss ends the race in third place overall, after a week of consistent results which saw Christen continue his fine 2025 campaign.

On the fourth and final stage, the Emirati squad looked to chase the day’s victory through Colombian sprinter Sebastián Molano, however, bad luck blighted his finish in Stavanger. Alas, UAE Team Emirates-XRG were well represented by Mikkel Bjerg, who did most of the work on the front of the peloton on Sunday afternoon, and Rui Oliveira, who performed admirably through the final kilometres.

Remaining safe within the peloton, Christen crossed the line inside the top 20 and comfortably retained his podium place. The youngster has enjoyed a brilliant season to date, winning Trofeo Calvià and a stage at the Volta ao Algarve before taking his podium finish at the Tour of Norway. Next, he will turn his attention to the Tour de Suisse in two weeks’ time.

Tour of Norway 2025 stage 4 results

1. Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) 2:53:29

2. Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) s.t

3. Tobias Lund Andresen (Team Picnic PostNL) s.t

General classification after Tour of Norway stage 4

1. Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) 15:32:22

2. Victor Langellotti (Ineos Grenadiers) +28″

3. Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +39″