Young Isaac Del Toro just showed the cycling world what he’s made of. The 21-year-old Mexican powerhouse secured his 15th victory of the season on Thursday. He rode solo to win the classic Gran Piemonte race in Italy. This win also marks a staggering 92nd triumph for his team, UAE Emirates, this year.
The 179-kilometer course stretched from Dogliani to Acqui Terme. Del Toro finished in an impressive 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 24 seconds. He crossed the line 40 seconds ahead of Marc Hirschi of Tudor. Bauke Mollema from Lidl-Trek took third, 44 seconds behind Del Toro. This was no ordinary win; Del Toro made history as the first Mexican rider to ever claim victory at Gran Piemonte.
Del Toro started the race riding with the main group of favorites. He previously took second place in this year’s Giro d’Italia. With about 20 kilometers left, he launched a powerful attack. He quickly caught up to Hirschi and Mollema, who were ahead. Then, with just 17.6 kilometers remaining, Del Toro surged forward. He left his rivals behind, making his final solo push to the finish line. Reports indicate he impressively overcame a 40-second gap on the final climb.
This victory is Del Toro’s 15th this year. Nine of these wins came in challenging one-day races. Overall, he now boasts 18 career victories. He shares the spot for the second most successful cyclist of 2025 with Belgium’s Tim Merlier. Only Tadej Pogacar, the current European and World Champion, has more wins. Interestingly, Pogacar also races for UAE Emirates, highlighting the team’s incredible depth.
On a side note, Portuguese rider Rui Costa, from EF Education-EasyPost, did not finish the demanding race.