Del Toro closes a dream season for Mexican cycling with a win.

▲ The Enseñada cyclist crossed the finish line alone, earning his 16th win. It was a 161.2-kilometer course that combined flat terrain and four laps with five climbs. Photo @TeamEmiratesUAE

From the editorial staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, October 16, 2025, p. a10

Isaac del Toro rode the final 10 kilometers of the Giro del Veneto alone. He let out a scream and, with his arms raised, crossed the finish line first to claim his 16th victory of the year. It was a perfect end to an unprecedented season in Mexican cycling.

The cyclist, who climbed to third place in the International Cycling Union (UCI) rankings on Monday, covered the 161.2 kilometers of the race in 3:24.29 hours, giving UAE Team Emirates its 95th victory in the process.

Del Toro proved invulnerable on a course that combined flat terrain and four laps with five climbs up to Torricella Massimiliana. Frenchman Alekseyevich Sivakov finished 22 seconds behind the Ensenada native, while Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen finished third, 23 seconds behind.

“On the penultimate climb, I felt it was a good time to attack, but we decided to wait until the last climb to escape. I'm happy with the result and, in general, with all the experiences I've had over the past few months; they've been very important in shaping the athlete I am. This is a good way to end the season,” Del Toro told the organizers.

With his introverted personality, his cool calm, and his talent, Del Toro has established himself as the second-most successful rider this season, surpassed only by his teammate, Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who has 19 wins.

"It wasn't easy; it was a joint effort by the team, who were always there for me. I just wanted the race to be over so I could share this victory with them. They worked hard, and it belongs to everyone."

Dizzying rise

The cyclist started the year ranked 57th overall, but climbed at a dizzying pace thanks to the power of his legs.

In May, he gave Mexico a dream by wearing the pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia for 11 days. The 21-year-old Torito outlasted tough opponents, although, in the end, his lack of experience and flaws in his team's strategy relegated him to second place after being overtaken by Britain's Simon Yates.

Even so, Del Toro finished runner-up and delivered the best performance by a Mexican cyclist in the race, also earning the white jersey for the most outstanding young competitor on the course.

This was followed by important victories in the Tours of Austria and Burgos, and a distinguished performance at the World Cycling Championships in Rwanda, where he competed in the elite category for the first time. He placed fifth in the time trial and seventh in the road race—something never before achieved by a Mexican cyclist. Del Toro is also establishing himself as one of Mexico's top contenders for the 2028 Olympic Games.

The cyclist closed the year strongly in the Italian classics: he won the Gran Piamonte and placed fifth in Lombardy, where he teamed up with Pogacar, the competition's champion.

"Isaac is a cyclist with tactical intelligence, strength, and humility. I'm sure he'll go far," said Tadej, the European and world champion.

Jonas Vingegaard, another cycling monster, only had good things to say about the Mexican.

"Who can reach our level? Good question. I'd say Isaac del Toro. He's very good, and I think he can achieve great things," he said.

Raúl Alcalá, one of the few tricolor cyclists who shone in the major European races, predicted a successful future for him.

"He's accustomed us to seeing him win and put on great races; what he's achieving for Mexican cycling is a feat."

Julio Alberto Pérez Cuapio, winner of three stages of the Giro d'Italia in two editions and a mountain bike title in the event, believes the cyclist's future depends on the support of his team and his perseverance.

“Isaac is on one of the best teams, and his performance will depend on the strategies developed in important competitions.”

The Emirates team has two European matches coming up this weekend, but Del Toro is not on the starting list, and his participation in the National Road Championship at the end of the month in his hometown of Ensenada is still uncertain.

Del Toro's career is promising. At just 21 years old and already ranked among the top three in the world, the athlete dreams of bringing more joy to Mexico on his bicycle.

The cyclist's success comes just weeks after the UCI recognized a new Mexican federation led by Bernardo de la Garza.

The sport, which has been plagued by corruption and administrative failures over the last five years, aims to take advantage of Isaac's brilliance to restore the luster of a sport that has given Mexico two Olympic medals (Belem Guerrero in 2004 and Manuel Youshimatz in 1984).

▲ World soccer's governing body, led by Gianni Infantino (right), responded to President Donald Trump's repeated threats of possible changes to the World Cup. Photo: AFP

Afp and Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, October 16, 2025, p. a11

Paris. FIFA hopes the 16 host cities will be ready to host the 2026 World Cup matches, it said in a statement released to AFP yesterday, after US President Donald Trump insisted on the possibility of moving some games for security reasons.

"We expect each of the 16 host cities to be prepared to successfully host the matches and meet all the necessary conditions," a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement that also included the other two host countries, Canada and Mexico.

“Safety and security are obviously the responsibility of governments, which decide what is in the interest of public safety,” the agency added.

Trump suggested a few days ago that he might declare cities "unsafe" for the soccer tournament, altering FIFA's plan since 2022.

However, the World Cup host cities are not dependent on Trump. The 11 US cities, plus three in Mexico and two in Canada, have contracts with FIFA, which would face significant logistical and legal challenges if it makes changes just eight months before the tournament kicks off, analysts say.

On Tuesday, Trump returned to the topic, threatening to relocate the World Cup games to Boston after noting that parts of the city had been gripped by riots.

Of the seven games scheduled to be played at Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots in the Boston suburb of Foxborough, five will be group stage matches, one will be a round of 16 match, and one will be a quarterfinal match. The news of so many important matches surprised even the local organizers.

The tournament is expected to generate a local economic impact of $1.1 billion, create more than 5,000 jobs, and generate $60 million in tax revenue throughout the region, according to organizers. They also anticipate more than 2 million visitors will arrive in New England during the 39 days of the World Cup.

Boston and its mayor, Michelle Wu, a Democrat whom Trump called “smart” but “radical leftist,” have been frequent targets of the Trump administration.

Regarding the games in that city, the US president said: “We could take them away. I love the people of Boston, and I know the games are over. But their mayor is no good.”

AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, October 16, 2025, p. a11

Madrid. Pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's attacks on Gaza are increasingly spreading to the world of sports. A new protest took place during the basketball game between Valencia Basket and Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv, which left at least five people arrested, authorities reported.

Tensions between law enforcement and protesters, some of whom were hooded, led to the arrest of five people, a police source said.

Hundreds of people gathered yesterday outside the Roig Arena, where the Euroleague match between Valencia Basket and Israel's Hapoël Tel Aviv was played behind closed doors.

Protesters waved Palestinian flags and banners reading "Boycott Israel" and "More than 20,000 children murdered," referring to the genocide and famine committed by Benjamin Netanyahu's government in the Gaza Strip.

"These teams (the Israelis) shouldn't be allowed to participate, neither in the Vuelta (of Spain), nor here, nor in football, nor anywhere, as they did with Russia and as (international sports organizations) have done before," said Aglaia Montoya, a 48-year-old translator present at the demonstration.

The Valencian club followed the authorities' recommendations by announcing on Tuesday that the Euroleague game would be played behind closed doors for the "safety of both fans and staff."

The measure was taken after a pro-Palestinian protest erupted in late September during the final stage of the Vuelta a España, one of the top international cycling competitions, due to the presence of the Israel-Premier Tech team.

In Spain, the Palestinian cause enjoys widespread popular support, and solidarity actions have multiplied in recent weeks in the world of sports.

Spain's two main unions—the General Union of Workers and the Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions—also called for a nationwide day of mobilization on Wednesday to demand "an end to the genocide that seeks to exterminate the Palestinian people."

▲ Mexican Alejandro Kirk of the Toronto Blue Jays is a finalist among the nominees for the Gold Glove Award as an American League catcher for the 2025 Major League season. The Tijuana native will compete for the award with Dillion Dingler of the Detroit Tigers and Carlos Narváez of the Boston Red Sox. AP Photo

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, October 16, 2025, p. a11