Del Toro keeps focus on Pogacar despite dream Tour start

Before the Tour, Del Toro was asked whether he was ready to work for Tadej Pogacar in July. His answer was brief and unequivocal: “Full gas.”

So far, he has been true to his word. Del Toro played a key role in setting up Pogacar’s attack on the Col du Tourmalet, even as his own performances have placed him firmly among the leading riders in the race.

The scale of his start has surprised Del Toro himself.

“I would have liked to dream about it, but not really,” he said in the flash interview when asked whether he could have imagined being in this position after one week.

Del Toro came into the Tour in outstanding form. In June, he won the Tour-Auvergne-Rhône Alpes after taking consecutive summit victories on the Grand Colombier and Plateau de Solaison.

His success added to an already impressive season that included overall victories at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico. It also followed his second place at the previous year’s Giro d’Italia, where he lost the pink jersey on the penultimate stage.

Despite those results, Del Toro made clear before the Tour that there would be no debate over leadership within the UAE team.

“It means a lot to win it after him,” Del Toro said after his victory at Plateau de Solaison, referring to Pogačar. “I have a lot of respect for him, and I just want to be as happy as him on the bike.”

His role was clear again on the Col du Tourmalet.

Del Toro increased the pace on the climb and set up Pogačar’s attack, which immediately put the other general classification contenders under pressure. The Mexican was initially able to stay on his leader’s wheel before eventually dropping back to the chasing group.

He still had enough left to contest the finish, sprinting to third place from the group of favourites.

The performance underlined the value he brings to Pogačar, but it also confirmed that Del Toro is capable of competing with the strongest riders in the race. 

His own opportunity had come earlier in Barcelona. On the second stage, Del Toro attacked on Montjuïc and reached the finish with Pogačar. The Slovenian did not contest the sprint, leaving his teammate to take his first Tour de France stage victory.

Since then, Del Toro has continued to rise in the general classification, although he remains reluctant to set personal targets. Stage 7 was a more straightforward day, at least by Tour de France standards. With the race heading towards a bunch sprint, Del Toro concentrated on staying out of trouble.

“In the end, it was like a bunch sprint,” he said. “Everybody in the bunch more or less agreed. I was just trying to stay safe, keep my body cool and arrive safely.”

The white jersey has now become a realistic objective, while his position in the overall standings may become increasingly difficult for UAE to ignore.

Del Toro, however, is not ready to make either of those goals a priority.

“It can become an objective, but not in this way,” he said. “I want to enjoy this experience in France. I am having a lot of fun and I am fully committed to the team.”

“I am just happy to be here in this position. I am living the dream. I do not have many personal objectives. It is simply about living the dream here in France.”

His position within the team remains the same as it was before the start. He is at the Tour to support Pogacar and help him win his fifth Tour title.

The difference is that, after seven stages, he is doing so from third place overall.