{"id":124463,"date":"2026-07-03T12:51:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/03\/isaac-del-toro-could-blow-the-tour-de-france-apart\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T12:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:51:19","slug":"isaac-del-toro-could-blow-the-tour-de-france-apart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/03\/isaac-del-toro-could-blow-the-tour-de-france-apart\/","title":{"rendered":"Isaac del Toro Could Blow the Tour de France Apart"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>While the cycling world obsesses over Paul Seixas, Tadej Poga\u010dar points to Isaac del Toro as the rookie who could light up this Tour.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">Poga\u010dar can&#8217;t stop singing Del Toro&#8217;s praises before the Tour de France. <!-- --> (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Updated July 3, 2026 07:15AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Everyone keeps asking <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/tadej-pogacar\" rel=\"noopener\">Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a> about <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonas Vingegaard<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The four-time <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/tour-de-france\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de France<\/a> winner couldn\u2019t stop talking about <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/isaac-del-toro\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Isaac del Toro<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think he (Vingegaard) is the only one who can come close,\u201d Poga\u010dar said in a pre-race press conference. \u201cThere are a few guys here who can aim for the victory, including this guy next to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not how Tour favorites usually talk about their helpers.<\/p>\n<p>While everyone is going crazy over <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/paul-seixas\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul Seixas<\/a>, Poga\u010dar seems convinced Del Toro could be the rookie who blows this race apart.<\/p>\n<p>The 22-year-old arrives in Barcelona on a tear. He won the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico this spring after finishing second at last year\u2019s Giro d\u2019Italia.<\/p>\n<p>Then he capped it by crushing the Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes last month.<\/p>\n<p>Ever humble, \u201cEl Torito\u201d \u2014 the little bull \u2014 said he\u2019s only thinking about helping Poga\u010dar chase a record-tying fifth yellow jersey.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a huge dream to know I\u2019ll be at the start of the Tour, and with the best team in the world, trying to help Tadej. I feel privileged,\u201d Del Toro said. \u201cI can hardly believe the person I\u2019m becoming over these years, and to be honest, I\u2019m very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Helping Poga\u010dar will help Del Toro<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_991158\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img alt=\"Del Toro\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"450\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-991158\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283782640-1-720x450.jpg?width=750&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283782640-1-720x450.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283782640-1-720x450.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Del Toro and Poga\u010dar make a fearsome tandem. <\/span> (Photo: DAVID PINTENS \/ BELGA MAG \/ Belga \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Isaac del Toro is part of a <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/tadej-pogacar-uae-tour-de-france-team\/\" rel=\"noopener\">scary strong UAE team<\/a>, but the Slovenian doesn\u2019t sound like he\u2019s planning on keeping Del Toro on a leash.<\/p>\n<p>A stage win or the white jersey isn\u2019t out of the question. And if Peak Pog dominates like everyone expects, who knows what else might happen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is an important year for me. I\u2019ll try to learn from the critical moments and contribute whatever I can for Tadej,\u201d Del Toro said. \u201cStarting the Tour is what I\u2019ve always hoped for ever since I started cycling. I\u2019m excited, and a bit nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some fans wish Del Toro was leading his own team instead of riding shotgun for Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n<p>The irony is that racing with Poga\u010dar instead of <em>against him<\/em> could actually improve his chances.<\/p>\n<p>If he\u2019s the last rider climbing beside Poga\u010dar deep into the Alps and Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es, he\u2019ll already be high on GC.<\/p>\n<h2>Making Mexican history<\/h2>\n<p>Del Toro mania is also buzzing in Mexico and dozens of fans cheered him during Thursday\u2019s team presentation in the shadow of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/every-american-canadian-and-mexican-rider-in-the-2026-tour-de-france\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Mexico hasn\u2019t had a Tour starter<\/a> since Miguel Arroyo in 1997. And no Mexican has won a Tour stage since Ra\u00fal Alcal\u00e1 won in 1989 and again in 1990.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t wait for it to start, and I\u2019m going to try to give it my all over these three weeks,\u201d Del Toro said. \u201cIt will be a tough race and tactics will be crucial every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Seixas <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/paul-seixas-france-tour-de-france-hype\/\" rel=\"noopener\">might be getting all the hype<\/a>, but don\u2019t be surprised if he ends up with the better Tour.<\/p>\n<p>Asked what he hoped would happen over the next three weeks, Poga\u010dar didn\u2019t mention a fifth Tour title.<\/p>\n<p>He smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Isaac wins the Tour de France.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/tour-de-france-isaac-del-toro-pogacar-surprise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While the cycling world obsesses over Paul Seixas, Tadej Poga\u010dar points to Isaac del Toro as the rookie who could light up this Tour. Poga\u010dar can&#8217;t stop singing Del Toro&#8217;s praises before the Tour de France. (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images) Updated July 3, 2026 07:15AM Everyone keeps asking Tadej Poga\u010dar about Jonas Vingegaard. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":124464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124463"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}