Del Toro should race the Giro, not ride the Tour for Pogačar

Isaac del Toro just rode away with the biggest stage race win of his young career at Tirreno-Adriatico.

Yet this summer, he’ll be racing to help Tadej Pogačar win a fifth Tour de France.

The Mexican sensation’s dominance at Tirreno-Adriatico confirmed the 22-year-old is no longer just a promising talent. Coupled with his early-season win at the UAE Tour, Del Toro is already racing like a grand tour contender.

Which raises an obvious question: Why isn’t he leading UAE Emirates-XRG at the Giro d’Italia?

“El Torito” broke out there last season and has some unfinished business after letting the pink jersey slip away. A return this year could have created a thrilling showdown with Jonas Vingegaard.

Instead, the UAE braintrust is sending him to the Tour de France in support of Pogačar.

From a team perspective, that decision makes perfect sense.

From a fan’s perspective, it means missing one of the most intriguing battles of the season and holding back the peloton’s most exciting young rider.

Isaac del Toro looks ready to win the Giro.

The problem is he rides for Tadej Pogačar.

Already top of the heap

On almost any other team, Del Toro would already be the headliner.

Despite all the buzz around Paul Seixas and the next wave of teenage phenoms, Del Toro and his Pog-like power is already here, at the very pinnacle of the sport.

Now in his third full pro season, he deserves grand tour top billing.

He won’t see that in 2026.

Riding for UAE means riding for Pogačar.

That’s the reality when the most dominant rider of this generation sits at the gravitational center of the peloton’s richest team.

And make no mistake, landing one of the eight spots on UAE’s Tour roster is a huge vote of confidence.

UAE packs the deepest team in the peloton, and punching his Tour ticket says a lot about how highly the team — and Pogačar — rate the Mexican star.

But for fans, it will still feel like a missed opportunity to watch Del Toro spend July riding wingman for Pogačar.

Don’t get me wrong. He’ll be brilliant in the role.

He’s already proven his value at Strade Bianche, and it won’t be surprising to see him to launch Pogačar when the race explodes on the Cipressa at Milan-San Remo this weekend.

Is what’s good for UAE good for cycling?

Finding his way

UAE’s Del Toro dilemma is a tricky one.

In many ways, sending Del Toro to the Tour makes sense at several levels.

The man from Baja California gets a low-pressure, red-carpet introduction to cycling’s biggest race and learn about the beast that is the Tour alongside the most successful winner in modern cycling.

Del Toro is also getting his chances to lead and win. So far, he’s two-for-two, bringing home huge victories at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico.

After San Remo, he will lead at Itzulia Basque Country and the new-look Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in June.

By all counts, that’s a world-class calendar for a budding superstar who, by his own admission, is still testing his limits.

So when he does go to the Tour in July, he won’t carry much pressure. He’ll probably ride Pogačar’s coattails to at least one stage victory and likely end up on the final podium anyway.

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So what’s not to love?

That means the Giro d’Italia will miss one of the most exciting matchups the season might have delivered.

A Vingegaard-versus-Del Toro duel would have been a generational clash, and probably delivered a far more interesting race than the Tour.

The “Giro light” course profile, at least on paper, favors Vingegaard, so Del Toro would have been attacking at every turn.

Instead, fans may get something closer to a replay of the Hinault-LeMond saga of the 1980s: the super-domestique/prince-in-waiting riding shotgun behind the team leader.

That’s not all bad — unless you want to see Del Toro fully off the leash.

Super team overkill

But this Del Toro quandary is the direct result of UAE’s seemingly endless budget and cycling’s modern super team era.

With a war chest edging toward $60 million, the team can and does sign the best young riders in the world.

Del Toro had offers from nearly every WorldTour team after winning the Tour de l’Avenir, but UAE offered the best deal. He would be the outright leader now on almost every other team.

He chose UAE.

And there’s nothing wrong with playing protege to the sport’s dominant force.

Del Toro himself admits he’s not at Pogačar’s level yet. So why not learn from the best rider of the 21st century and pick up a few wins along the way?

After all, the team won nearly 100 races last year with 20 different riders. The team does a good job of spreading around the wealth within the team bus.

João Almeida will lead at the Giro, alongside Adam Yates, Jay Vine, and Jan Christen, who promise to make it hard for Vingegaard and the Killer Bees.

This is the reality of a sport without spending caps, college drafts, or any other way to balance the playing field.

It’s an open market, and if UAE can offer the best big-money deal, that would be hard for any rider to turn down.

If UAE can offer the best deals, the best riders will sign there. It’s simple economics. Simple as.

Missing an epic showdown

News last week that French phenom Seixas is also considering UAE was a cold shower for anyone hoping he’ll emerge as a potential Pog-Slayer.

For the good of the sport, let’s hope Seixas stays at Decathlon, or maybe goes to a team like Ineos-Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek, or anywhere.

UAE’s growing dominance already is growing beyond the Pog Show, and the team brass is wisely building out its team for the future. Adding Seixas would almost seem like rubbing it in everyone’s faces.

Sending Del Toro to the Tour this summer still feels like a missed opportunity.

But because he rides on the same team as its biggest star, the moment will have to wait.

And even riding in Pogačar’s shadow this summer, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him finish on the podium anyway.

Still, who wouldn’t rather see Del Toro take it straight to Vingegaard at the Giro and see if he can crack him, rather than ride wingman for Pogi in July?

Instead, Del Toro will have to wait his turn.

But for how long?

King Pog will be winning the Tour for another three to four years if he wants, as he swats away any comers.

Del Toro will probably still go bag a Giro and a Vuelta along the way while he waits his turn.

Del Toro’s moment is coming. The only problem is that Pogačar’s reign isn’t ending anytime soon.