Isaac del Toro admits Tadej Pogacar's belief in him is 'quite profound' after stellar 2026 season together

Isaac del Toro has travelled to Singapore to take part in the Tour de France criterium alongside Paul Seixas, and the Mexican champion was asked by Marca about the impact of Tadej Pogačar as a teammate and the confidence the Slovenian has shown in him. 

That confidence was particularly evident at the Tour de France this summer, where Pogačar appeared more than happy to support Del Toro’s podium ambitions while managing his own bid for a fifth yellow jersey. 

On stage 2 in Barcelona, Del Toro claimed his first Tour stage win, ahead of Pogačar, who appeared content to let his teammate take the honours, looking behind the monitor the chasing riders rather than try to sprint past the Mexican.

Pogačar’s support was also evident on the penultimate stage. Having all but secured the yellow jersey, the race leader turned luxury domestique for Del Toro, helping the Mexican hold off Paul Seixas for third place and the best young rider white jersey classification. 

"It was an honour to ride for Isaac during that last hour and a half," Pogačar said post-stage. "I did it with pleasure, and now I realise just how hard it is to work for someone else. Being able to cross the finish line together on Alpe d'Huez is memorable."

Asked what it means to have the world’s best rider place such faith in him, Del Toro said:

“The fact that he might see something I don’t is flattering, but it’s also quite profound. He wants to be part of my development, and he supports me at every turn. It’s a wonderful thing, and I feel very privileged,” Del Toro told Marca.

The Mexican champion also detailed how he has gone about adjusting to his growing responsibilities within UAE, admitting that he has prioritised walking before he can run. 

“I tried to delay taking on a leadership role for as long as possible, so that I could learn rather than just being a figurehead,” Del Toro said.

“After a year, I’ve grown more comfortable and have come to understand what kind of rider I am; I perform well in a wide variety of situations, though I’m not sure if I’m a specialist in any one area.”

Looking ahead to 2027, UAE have signalled their ambitions to target all three Grand Tours, with Del Toro potentially in line to return to the Giro d’Italia after enjoying a spell in the pink jersey and finishing runner-up on debut in 2025.

“We’ll follow whatever the team’s overall plan happens to be. Every team wants to win all three Grand Tours in a single year, so that’s nothing new,” Del Toro said. 

“We’ll see what role I’m assigned for 2027, and we’ll do our absolute best.”