The only one who could follow Pogacar during Strade Bianche recon was his own teammate: "Going all-in with Tadej"

Tadej Pogacar is the overwhelming favorite for Strade Bianche, and if everything goes according to plan, nothing seems to stand in the way of a third victory for the Slovenian. However, if he has an off day or encounters trouble, UAE Team Emirates-XRG has no reason to worry. Isaac Del Toro will serve as a super domestique, but he seems more than ready to play a significant role—with or without Pogacar.

The 21-year-old Del Toro was already making waves in December, when he reflected on his brilliant debut season in the WorldTour. He finished third at the Tour Down Under—winning a stage—placed fourth in Tirreno-Adriatico, seventh in the Tour of the Basque Country, and secured overall victory at the Vuelta a Asturias. He also rode his first grand tour at La Vuelta a España but was sidelined by COVID-19. However, he bounced back at the U23 World Championships, finishing 12th in the time trial and 6th in the road race.

Winning the Tour de l'Avenir in 2023 confirmed his immense potential, and he entered 2025 with big ambitions. However, he did face some setbacks. "In December and January, I had knee problems after a crash. I couldn’t train for a while, but once I got back, things improved very quickly. I feel comfortable again with my body and in the team, though I didn’t expect much from my first races. Definitely not a second place in Jaén," he said with a smile, reflecting on his podium finish in the Spanish gravel race.

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Isaac Del Toro

Del Toro to Support Pogacar first at Strade Bianche

In addition to his second-place finish at Clásica Jaén, Isaac Del Toro has already placed seventh in the Vuelta a Murcia and spent two consecutive days working for the flying Juan Ayuso in the Ardèche. His role at Strade Bianche on Saturday will be no different. Is there a difference between riding for Pogacar and Ayuso? "More watts, haha! No, just kidding. Every race is different—I’m here to do what I need to do. We hope to have the legs to execute the plan, but it’s a tough race, and we’ll need a bit of luck. It’s going to be a brutal day, but we’re ready for it."

Anyone who paid close attention during Thursday’s recon ride would have noticed something different from last year—Pogacar wasn’t alone for much of the session. When the Slovenian put in a hard effort, Del Toro was the only one able to stay with him. When asked about it, the Mexican laughed. "We checked out the course on Thursday, and it was super tough. Tadej still dropped me at the end, but it was a really good day. Going all-in with Tadej and my teammates—it was fun until Monte Sante Marie, haha!"

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Can Del Toro (behind Pogacar) go for his own goals in Strade Bianche?

"I’m taking small steps in the right direction, and that’s already hard enough," he says humbly. But when it’s suggested that he might be able to fight for a podium spot behind Pogacar, he responds: "I don’t know. In my wildest dreams, I’m up there with the best, but my first goal is to go all-in for Tadej. If we’ve done that and Tadej is up front, maybe we can start playing with the others. We have so many strong riders, and I’d love to fight for a win one day. But I’m not putting that pressure on myself now—let’s just see how it goes."

And why not? Even Pogacar was full of praise for his young teammate at Friday’s team presentation. "I’m really happy to have Isaac in the team. I can teach him a few things because he’s still very young. Right now, I have more experience than him, so I can share that with him. Maybe in a few years, he’ll be better than me. Then, maybe the roles will be reversed." But Del Toro remains humble. "Last year was incredibly good, and I hope this year will be just as good—or maybe even better. I have to keep working hard, and I’m lucky to have the full support of the team. I’m really happy with that."

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])     

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