Isaac del Toro becomes first Mexican on Tour de France podium, winning white jersey at 22

Isaac del Toro finished third in the 113th Tour de France on Sunday, becoming the first Mexican cyclist to stand on the podium of the sport's most celebrated race. Riding for UAE Team Emirates, the 22-year-old completed the 21 stages in 74 hours, 6 minutes and 8 seconds, securing the white jersey as the best young rider. Only two Mexicans had previously contested the Tour: Raúl Alcalá, who competed nine times between 1986 and 1994 and won two stages and the youth classification in 1987, and Miguel Arroyo, who raced in the 1990s. Del Toro's achievement eclipses those milestones, arriving at a time when cycling in Mexico lacks institutional backing and the national tour has been dormant for a decade.

From Ensenada to the Champs-Élysées

Born in Ensenada, Baja California, Del Toro grew up far from the sport's European heartland. His father, José del Toro, introduced him to cycling, and a local mechanic, José Ascensión Acevedo, known as Chon, kept his bikes running with makeshift repairs. Without government support, he pitched himself to the San Marino-based AR Monex Pro Cycling team via a Facebook message, pointing out that a mechanical failure had cost him the 2019 national title. The gamble paid off. He moved to Europe and in 2023 became the first Mexican winner of the Tour de l'Avenir, the under-23 version of the Tour de France, a race previously won by Tadej Pogačar and Nairo Quintana.

A near-career-ending crash in 2022 tested his resolve. During a training ride in San Marino, his bicycle slipped on a curve and he struck a wall, breaking his femur and severing an artery. He was airlifted to hospital and spent 16 days recovering, his leg "like jelly," he later recalled. The comeback was swift: in 2024 he joined UAE Team Emirates, and the following year he briefly led the Giro d'Italia, losing the pink jersey to Simon Yates in the race's queen stage.

The 2026 Tour and national celebration

In this year's Tour, Del Toro rode in support of team leader Tadej Pogačar, who claimed his fifth Tour de France title, while Remco Evenepoel of Belgium took second. Del Toro's consistent climbing and time-trialing earned him third place overall and the maillot blanc. As he rolled onto the Champs-Élysées, the reaction in Mexico was immediate.

“Mexico is very proud of your effort, dedication and this great moment that inspires an entire country. Congratulations, Isaac! May the successes continue.”

“Congratulations, champion, you not only conquered the Tour de France, you conquered the heart of an entire country.”

The Mexican national football team also praised him as "a crack and pride of our country."

“To be a great winner, you have to be a great loser.”

That admission came after the 2025 Giro, where he lost the lead to Yates. After that disappointment, he added, "Now I know I can win a Grand Tour."

A path forward

Del Toro's trajectory invites comparisons with his teammate Pogačar, now a five-time Tour champion. Cycling observers already regard the Mexican as a potential future winner of the Grande Boucle. The 2026 result, achieved in his debut Tour at age 22, marks only the start. With the white jersey and a podium secured, Del Toro has rewritten the limits of Mexican cycling.