TORITO

By: Elián Zidán

Since Pepe el Toro hit movie screens in 1953, Mexico hadn’t shouted “¡Toritooo!” with such pride and joy.

But Isaac del Toro has changed that. At just 21 years old, this young cyclist from Ensenada, Baja California, has become one of the brightest stars on the international cycling stage—and his name is now etched in the golden history of Mexican sports.

As I write these words, I still don’t know the final outcome of the Giro d’Italia this Sunday, when this column will be published. But one thing I can say for certain: Isaac has already won. No matter what happens in the final stage, he’s conquered something far greater—the heart of a nation.

Del Toro has elevated Mexico on the world stage in one of the toughest, most demanding, and prestigious races on the planet. After years of cycling feeling distant, elite, and foreign, he made an entire country look at a bike and feel something. We woke up early to watch him climb impossible mountains. We learned what a maglia rosa is. And we dared to dream again.

In a country where cycling isn’t a mainstream sport and where few have the means to practice it seriously, he broke through. He brought us together. He gave us something to cheer for, to search on social media, to feel part of something larger than ourselves.

Isaac didn’t just lead the Giro for several stages (something no Mexican had ever done), he also won one. And he did it with grit, with tactical brilliance, and above all—with humility. The way he rides, the way he celebrates, the way he carries Mexico on his back in foreign lands has already drawn comparisons to legends.

He’s made our generation feel the same pride that our parents might have felt watching Hugo Sánchez score over 200 goals with Real Madrid, or Julio César Chávez in the ring.

Years from now, when someone asks how Mexico fell in love with cycling again, the answer will be simple:

Isaac del Toro.

And a cry that echoed through the Alps and came back home reborn:

¡Toritooooo!