Isaac del Toro makes history at the legendary Giro d'Italia

▲ Isaac del Toro took the overall lead by one minute and 13 seconds over his teammate Juan Ayuso, in the ninth stage of the Giro. Photo AFP

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, May 19, 2025, p. 9

Isaac del Toro, a cyclist unknown just a couple of years ago, had a duel in the Giro d'Italia that will be talked about for years. They'll mention the Mexican climbing the cobblestones of the narrow streets of Siena, with a grimace that looked like a smile, but was actually a face distorted by suffering and exertion, while behind him, glued together, almost rubbing wheel to wheel, a daredevil Belgian, Wout van Aert, was hot on his heels.

He was unable to maintain his lead and finished second in the ninth stage run in Tuscany, but he achieved what no Mexican had ever achieved in the 116-year history of the race: the maglia rosa , the distinction awarded to the cyclist who achieves the best time and takes the lead.

The 21-year-old Baja California native resisted the onslaught of outlaws, tailgaters (pedaling right next to his rear tire), sporadic leeches, and attacks seeking to destroy his legs. But the battle was only between two: a Mexican and a Belgian.

In the final stretch of the race, on the narrow streets of Siena, with their challenging cobblestones and gradients that defy the laws of gravity, Del Toro and Van Aert clashed in one of those duels that become etched in the memory. They became a legend, a story that will be shared like wildfire in the next few conversations between fans.

The Mexican escaped from the peloton, that multi-colored swarm that is sometimes pure chaos, and continued onward when there was a collective crash in the gaps of agricultural Tuscany. A monster and favorite like Primoz Roglic had a disastrous day and fell to the ground on the gravel in the territory that has acquired the legendary name of Strade Bianche , the scene of great cycling feats and where a race holds the intimidating nickname of the Hell of the North.

Near the end of this 181-kilometer stage, which ends in Siena's medieval Piazza del Campo, the young Mexican held the lead with that smile that was actually a grimace of pain. On the cobblestones, egged on by the fans who could have touched him so close, he defended himself like a madman against the Belgian's attack. In Van Aert's team vehicle, they were suffering from the fight, and the strategist, already desperate, practically begged him over the communicator: "Do what you have to do, do it for your little children, but do it ."

And then, the 30-year-old Belgian burst into the final sprint to give it his all. He had the experience of 40 victories, nine stages in the Tour de France and three in the Vuelta a España to back him up. The Giro was on his to-do list, and he had to make a kamikaze-like dash to fill the void. He was only a few hundredths of a second behind the Mexican, and the latter refused to give up, but there was no way back. As soon as Van Aert crossed the finish line, he burst into emotions only he knew, hugging his team, who seemed crazed, and his young children.

Del Toro also collapsed unexpectedly: he won the pink jersey and is the first Mexican to wear that badge.

The first edition of the Giro was held in 1909, and in 1931 the leader began to wear a striking jersey to distinguish himself from the peloton.

Now his name is inscribed in a mythology filled with a pantheon of surnames evoking adventure, epic, suffering, and heroism. Coppi, Bartali, Merckx, Induráin, and although this Giro is barely in its ninth stage, it already has the name of a young man born in Ensenada.

Del Toro is not the leader of his team, the international UAE Team Emirates, but rather a domestique who emerged with the power of his legs and now holds a one-minute, 13-second lead over his Spaniard teammate Juan Ayuso in the standings.

Juan and Adam (Yates) are still the leaders. I have a lot of respect for them. They've shown they're capable of doing the job in a three-week race, while for me it's a new experience , the Mexican declared at the end of the race, but when asked if he felt capable of winning the Giro d'Italia, he replied: Dreaming is free .

▲ The car was very good , said Red Bull's Max Verstappen, after taking the win yesterday on the Italian track. AP Photo

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, May 19, 2025, p. a10

With a masterful maneuver at the start, Dutchman Max Verstappen overtook the McLaren drivers to win the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. It was the Red Bull driver's fourth consecutive victory at the Imola circuit – in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025, as the 2023 race was canceled – and he closed the gap in the championship race.

Reigning champion Verstappen, who started from second place, wasted no time and just at the second corner executed a heart-pounding tactic to overtake Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren), who despite having made a clean start was surprised by the Dutchman.

The rest of the race was just strategy on the part of Verstappen himself and his team, who appropriately planned their pit stop entry in order to not give up the lead, which gave him an advantage of up to 20 seconds.

Piastri dropped back to third place, even though he had pole position , while his teammate Lando Norris climbed from fourth to second place.

With this victory, Verstappen also closed the gap on the McLaren drivers in the battle to retain the world title. The four-time champion currently sits in third place with 124 points, just nine behind Lando Norris, and Piastri leads with 146 points.

The car was very good, it allowed me to work the tires very well, and we're pleased with how we performed this weekend; we were strong, and we got a great win. Now we'll be entering a different circuit, Monaco, but we'll have to rise to the challenge , said the Red Bull driver.

Although the race was relatively uneventful, Italian Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) brought out the safety car on lap 46 due to a technical fault. Verstappen took advantage of this situation to pit and finish the race on fresh tires.

Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), who suffered a spectacular accident the day before, now finished in tenth place, while seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) was just a step away from the podium with a fourth-place finish. George Russell (Mercedes) finished seventh, despite starting from third place.

Mexican Santiago Ramos wins in F3

Before the main competition, 21-year-old Mexican Santiago Ramos achieved a historic result by winning the Formula 3 race at the Imola circuit. It was the second victory for the tricolor this season.

The Guadalajara native, who races for the Van Amersfoort Racing team and started from second place, had a fierce battle against Brazilian Rafael Camara, who competes for Trident, the Mexican's previous team, but managed to consolidate his lead in the final three laps.

The South American finished in third place, while Norwegian Noah Strömsted was second.

The result of the third round propels the tricolor into the fight for the overall lead, moving them into fifth place with 35 points, after also winning at the Melbourne circuit in March on the first day of the season. Camara remains the overall leader with 73 points, followed by Strömsted (52) and Tim Tramnitz (48).

I'm very happy, I think it's a very important result for all of Mexico, it was a very intelligent race, with a lot of strategy , the Mexican noted.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, May 19, 2025, p. a10

After a couple of weeks battling an unexpected injury and all the negative criticism his documentary garnered, Carlos Alcaraz once again defeated world number one Jannik Sinner 7-6, 6-1, winning his first Rome Masters and adding another major clay-court title to his resume.

Since the beginning of last year, the Spaniard is the only player to have beaten Sinner more than once, and he has now done so four times in a row.

The Murcian took the victory in straight sets and made it clear that he remains the best player on the surface. His victory in Rome also served as a statement of intent ahead of Roland Garros, a Grand Slam he's headed to after winning in Monte Carlo, reaching the final in Barcelona, ​​and another triumph in Rome.

I'm proud of how I approached the match mentally. Tactically, I think I did quite well from the first point to the last , Alcaraz said. I maintained my level throughout the match . The victory in front of Sinner's home crowd at the Foro Italico snapped the Italian's 26-match winning streak, which dated back to October, when Alcaraz beat him in the China Open final in a third-set tiebreak . The Spaniard now leads the career series 7-4.

“We both showed great skill today, especially in the first set. It was very, very tight, serving with set points against us. I knew from the start that all matches with Jannik are very tactical. I started very well, from the first ball to the last.

I haven't lost my focus, which has been very good. It was probably one of the best matches I've played so far in terms of level. I'm very proud of that , the Spaniard added.

A large number of the 10,500 fans at Center Field were dressed in orange (Sinner's theme color) and chanted his name before the game started, and even after Sinner lost.

They gave me a lot of energy, a lot of courage to be here on the court. I tried my hardest , Sinner told the crowd. It was something very special. Thank you .

It is the Italian's first tournament after a three-month doping ban.

He was attempting to become the first local to win the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta in 1976. He was also looking to complete a sweep of Rome singles titles for Italy after Jasmine Paolini won the women's trophy yesterday.

With information from Ap

▲ Photo Ap

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, May 19, 2025, p. a10

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (pictured) scored 35 points, Jalen Williams added 24, and the Oklahoma City Thunder advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 125-93 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7. The top-seeded Thunder will host the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. It is Oklahoma City's first appearance in the conference finals since 2016.