Isaac Del Toro: ‘It’s a dream come true to be racing for UAE Team Emirates’

Excitement, determination, and a hunger to get going. That’s how I’d sum up my emotions on the eve of the Tour Down Under – my first UCI World Tour race as part of UAE Team Emirates.

I’m feeling in really good shape on the back of our team training camp in Spain, which allowed me to ride with my new teammates for the very first time and start to develop those crucial connections and relationships, both on and off the saddle.

I couldn’t be more excited to start my first race in Australia and am completely focused on learning as much as I possibly can, soaking up each and every experience I have, as well as showcasing my skills and ability on the bike.

To be a part of the No 1 team in the world, riding alongside guys I was watching on television just a few months ago, is truly a dream come true. I feel very proud to be welcomed into this great family. I still have to pinch myself to remind me it’s really happening, but I’m super excited to give my best for this team in every single race in the years to come.

With the race about to kick off, it gives me a chance to think back to where it all started for me. My parents have been the biggest influence on my career. I remember my father suggesting taking up cycling, so my brother and I would be out on the bike all the time, having lots of fun and making progress as we learned more and more about cycling and gained more experience.

We were – and still are – extremely competitive, so we started winning local races before stepping up to race at a national level in the bigger races. I remember just having lots of fun each weekend, producing positive results, and starting to really love that winning feeling.

I am a person who doubts himself a lot, so I began working really hard to ensure I just focus on the things that I could control and doing those to the best possible level. This is an attitude I still have to this day, and hopefully, this will allow me to keep developing as a rider as I strive to reach the top of the sport.

One of the biggest setbacks of my career was back in 2022 when I broke my femur in a nasty crash. I remember hating the feeling of being off the bike and having to recover slowly.

When I eventually returned, I think in hindsight I pushed too hard too quickly and ultimately felt like my body was shutting down because it wasn’t ready to compete back at my top level. It was frustrating, but I learned how to deal with this and gradually built my level back up. I hope this experience helps me for the rest of my career.