Up-and-coming Mexican racer Isaac del Toro has abandoned Itzulia Basque Country early on stage 3 after a crash.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG racer quit Itzulia with unspecified injuries with 85 kilometres left to race on the rolling 152.8-kilometre third day of the stage race, starting and finishing in Basauri.
The team's medical director, Dr. Adrian Rotunno (Medical Director), said in a statement: "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 will undergo further examination as a precaution under supervision of team medical staff."
The winner of both the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico, as well as taking a podium finish in Strade Bianche behind all-conquering teammate Tadej Pogačar, Del Toro was widely expected to challenge for the Izulia overall.
However, the 22-year-old had a seriously uneven start to Itzulia Basque Country, finishing eighth in the opening time trial, 51 seconds down on Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), and then losing nearly two minutes on Seixas after the Frenchman also won stage 2. Del Toro was lying eighth overall at the time of his abandon.
Regarded as one of the most promising of a new generation of racers after he finished second in the 2025 Giro d'Italia, Del Toro is next slated to compete in Amstel Gold Race and the remainder of the Ardennes Classics before resting up for his debut Tour de France.
As yet, there was no indication of when he might return to racing following his Itzulia abandon.
In his short career to date, DNFs for Del Toro are a comparatively rare experience. The last time he had to quit early was in the GP Miguel Indurain of 2025.
Get unlimited access to our unrivalled 2026 Spring Classics coverage with a Cyclingnews subscription. We'll bring you breaking news, reports, and analysis from some of the biggest races on the calendar, including Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. Find out more.
