Isaac Del Toro’s Recent Accomplishments and Nomination
Isaac Del Toro has once again sparked excitement in Mexico due to his impressive performance in cycling, this time with a double dose of good news.
Firstly, Del Toro has been confirmed to compete in an official race in his hometown of Ensenada, Baja California. Secondly, he has been nominated for the Best Cyclist of the Year award alongside the sport’s elite.
Competing in the National Road Cycling Championship 2025
Del Toro will participate in the National Road Cycling Championship 2025 in Ensenada from October 23 to 25. His training videos within the city have already started circulating on social media, where he was born 21 years ago.
“UAE Team Emirates-XRG is pleased to announce that Del Toro will compete in the Mexican National Championship in Baja California in the coming days, extending our record-breaking season,” stated his team in a press release.
Midweek last week, Del Toro secured victory number 95 for UAE Emirates in 2025 at the Giro del Véneto (Italy). The team also mentioned in a bulletin that this was his final performance for the season, leaving Del Toro with a total of 16 wins.
This weekend, Del Toro will be back in official competition as the Ensenada event boasts credentials from both the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the newly formed Union Ciclista de México (UCIMEX).
Mexico had gone three years without UCI recognition for its National Road Cycling Championship due to the UCI’s dismissal of the Mexican Cycling Federation (FMC) in 2021 over alleged governance violations.
Eder Frayre, born 34 years ago in Ensenada, was the last UCI-recognized winner of the National Championship, precisely in 2021.
All is now set for Isaac Del Toro to add his name to the list of winners. According to Pro Cycling Stats, ‘Torito’ participated in a National Championship in 2020, though in the junior category, finishing 20th.
With two seasons of experience in professional cycling and participation in the Ruanda Worlds a few weeks ago, Del Toro arrives as the top contender for both the time trial on Thursday, October 23, and the road race on Saturday, October 25.
“Competing in the National Championship in my birthplace is truly special for me. It’s the perfect way to wrap up the season, surrounded by my family, friends, and the fans who have supported me from the start,” Del Toro reflected.
“I’m proud to race for UAE Emirates, finally at home. I’ll give it my all to finish the year on a high note. These will be very special days, and I hope the entire Mexican cycling community can get involved and enjoy it,” he added.
Del Toro’s most recent race was the Andorra Cycling Masters, a newly created exhibition where he finished second, just behind Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic.
Nomination for Vélo d’Or 2025
On another note, Del Toro has been included in the list of 10 nominees for the Vélo d’Or 2025, which translates to ‘Golden Bicycle’ from French.
This award has been given since 1992 to the best cyclist of the year. Created by Vélo Magazine, it was inspired by France Football’s Ballon d’Or model from 1956.
Isaac Del Toro is the only non-European nominee for 2025, with the winner to be revealed in Paris on December 5, as the cycling season concluded with top international competitions.
Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia won the Vélo d’Or in 2024; Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark won in 2023, and Remco Evenepoel of Belgium in 2022. All are included in the 2025 nominees.
The highest winner in Vélo d’Or history is Spain’s Alberto Contador with four awards: 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2014.
No Latin American rider has ever won the award in its 32 previous editions. Colombians Nairo Quintana (third place in 2016) and Egan Bernal (second place in 2019) are the only Latin Americans to have reached the podium.
Del Toro was nominated after securing 16% of UAE Team Emirates’ wins in 2025, a record-breaking year that made them the team with the most victories in a season. Moreover, Del Toro distinguished himself by finishing second in the overall classification of the Giro d’Italia, one of cycling’s three Grand Tours.
Vélo d’Or 2025 Nominees
- Isaac Del Toro (Mexico/UAE Team Emirates)
- Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia/UAE Team Emirates)
- Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Simon Yates (United Kingdom/Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Soudal Quick-Step)
- Joao Almeida (Portugal/UAE Team Emirates)
- Ben Healy (Ireland/EF Education-EasyPost)
- Tim Merlier (Belgium/Soudal Quick-Step)
- Mads Pedersen (Denmark/Lidl–Trek)
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Isaac Del Toro? – Isaac Del Toro is a Mexican professional cyclist currently racing for UAE Team Emirates.
- What recent achievements has Del Toro accomplished? – Del Toro secured victory 95 for UAE Emirates in 2025 at the Giro del Véneto (Italy) and is nominated for Best Cyclist of the Year. He will also compete in the National Road Cycling Championship 2025 in Ensenada.
- What is the Vélo d’Or 2025? – The Vélo d’Or is an annual award given to the best cyclist of the year since 1992, created by Vélo Magazine.
- Who are the nominees for Vélo d’Or 2025? – The nominees include Isaac Del Toro (Mexico/UAE Team Emirates), Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia/UAE Team Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Simon Yates (United Kingdom/Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck), Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Soudal Quick-Step), Joao Almeida (Portugal/UAE Team Emirates), Ben Healy (Ireland/EF Education-EasyPost), Tim Merlier (Belgium/Soudal Quick-Step), and Mads Pedersen (Denmark/Lidl–Trek).
