Isaac del Toro reacts after Itzulia crash and hints at missing Ardennes Classics

The 22-year-old Mexican was involved in a crash with over 80 kilometres to go on Wednesday, after which he attempted to continue but was ultimately forced to abandon.

Following further examinations after the stage, UAE Team Emirates-XRG has confirmed that Del Toro sustained a right thigh muscle tear along with several associated abrasions.

Team doctor Adrian Rotunno said in a statement by the team: “Unfortunately Isaac Del Toro suffered a crash on stage 3 of Itzulia Basque Country and was forced to withdraw. He has a right thigh muscle tear, and several related abrasions.”

He added: “He will undergo further examination as a precaution under supervision of team medical staff.”

Initial on site assessments already suggested that Del Toro was struggling to put weight on his right leg, raising immediate concerns about the extent of the damage.

Despite the setback, Del Toro struck a positive tone in a message shared on Instagram, expressing gratitude and determination to return.

“I have to be positive and be grateful that it was not the worst that could happen,” he said. “Despite everything, I will be under control for a few weeks. Thank you all for your messages, your support and for believing in me. I cannot wait to return.”

He also thanked his teammates for their support, adding: “Thank you to my colleagues for the morale and for always being with me.”

With those remarks, Del Toro appears to signal that he is likely to miss the Ardennes Classics, where he had been expected to take on a protected role at Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne before supporting Tadej Pogačar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The Mexican had come into Itzulia in strong early season form, having claimed overall victories at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico, but had already lost ground in the general classification after a difficult opening time trial and time losses on stage 2.