Mexican cyclist Isaac del Toro bulldozed to another win Thursday and has now earned laurels at three Italian one-day races inside of five days.
At the 197.6 km Coppa Sabatini in Peccioli, Italy, Del Toro wheeled away from two breakaway companions to finish first with a time of 4 hours, 46 minutes and 56 seconds.
The 21-year-old Baja California native, racing for UAE Emirates-XRG, outclassed Benjamin Thomas and Ben Granger, attacking on the final climb with 0.4 km to go and pulling away to win by 5 seconds and 8 seconds, respectively.
“I like racing here in Italy; the fans are very attentive and passionate about cycling,” Del Toro said. “I’m always happy to race here.”
Del Toro is being called a phenom after claiming 10 victories since his impressive second-place showing at the three-week-long Giro d’Italia that ended on June 1. He now ranks No. 4 in the world in ProCyclingStats’ Best Rider Rankings.
Cycling analysts see him fast-tracking toward the Rwanda world championships later this month and a potential showdown with teammate Tadej Pogačar in Africa. Pogačar, the world’s top-ranked cyclist, won the Tour de France in July and is only just now returning to competition.
Del Toro has been on a tear since taking a five-week break after the Giro d’Italia. He won three of five stages to finish first at the Tour of Austria in mid-July.
He then won three times in Spain — a one-day road cycling race in the Terres de l’Ebre; the one-day Circuito de Getxo; and the five-stage Vuelta a Burgos.
This week, “El Torito” completed an Italian hat trick by finishing first in the GP Industria & Artigianato on Sunday, the Giro della Toscana on Wednesday before his triumph at Thursday’s Coppa Sabatini. He won each in spectacular fashion.
In Sunday’s 196.3 km test, Del Toro burst out of the pack with 12 kilometers remaining, pulling away from defending champion Marc Hirschi and pre-race favorite Michael Storer. He chased down the leaders Christian Scaroni and Davide Piganzoli, passing them at the 300-meter mark and racing past the finish line first in a time of 4:32:47.
In Wednesday’s 189 km race, he launched a solo move with 27 km to go, pulling away from co-leader Storer and holding off all challenges from in front. Del Toro finished in 4:25:38, 15 seconds better than Storer.
And in Thursday’s Coppa Sabatini, Del Toro kicked into gear with 6 km remaining before powering past Thomas and Granger on the uphill drag to the finish line, denying Hirschi a three-peat.
Del Toro has 12 victories this year, and 15 since turning pro in January 2024.
With reports from Cycling News, Velo, Fox Sports and ESPN
