‘It was crazy nice’ – Del Toro savours duel with Van der Poel and Tirreno race lead

Although Van der Poel powered to the stage victory, Del Toro’s ride to second place was enough to move him into the overall lead of the race. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider admitted afterwards that the experience of racing head to head with one of his idols made the finale even more special.

“It was crazy nice,” Del Toro said after the finish asked how it was to race against one of his idols (van der Poel). “I saw him after the crash of Jorgenson and I didn’t feel that I would make it. But I was struggling so hard and I knew I was one of the main contenders, so I decided to really push myself until the end.” 

The decisive move came on the slippery gravel climb towards San Gimignano, where Van der Poel’s acceleration split the peloton and created the small group that would ultimately fight for the stage win. Del Toro managed to survive the chaos and stay in contention despite the treacherous conditions.

“It was really tough,” he said with a smile. “It was really fast.”

Del Toro’s reward for his effort was the blue leader’s jersey, though his advantage in the general classification remains slender. The Mexican leads Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) by just three seconds after the Italian finished third on the stage.

“I’m happy. I think it’s incredible,” Del Toro said of taking the race lead. “It was such a nice feeling. I will fight until the end with my friend Pellizzari. The memory is really nice, but it was tough. Really tough.”

Asked about his closest rival, Del Toro was full of praise for the Italian.

“He’s really strong,” Del Toro said. “If he can jump across with me it would be wonderful. He’s in super good shape and definitely one guy to watch.”

Tirreno Adriatico continues tomorrow with a 221km stage that should offer an opportunity for the sprinters.