Humility and grit: Isaac del Toro clings to the pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia

“It's incredible. I can't believe it, to be honest. Everyone in my country is now starting to see the sport and how difficult it is, and it's just incredible,” said Isaac del Toro after retaining the Giro d'Italia pink jersey yesterday.

“I think we're making some progress, step by step, but now this feeling is incredible.”

The young Mexican even slightly increased his lead by overtaking his closest pursuer, Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, to finish second on stage 19, earning himself valuable bonus seconds.

"And I can't believe I'm the guy representing the country. I think they need to send someone better," the 21-year-old added with a smile.

The champion of this Giro will almost certainly be decided today, Saturday, in another duel in the high mountains, before the ceremonial closing ceremony in Rome the following day.

The penultimate stage will cover a 205-kilometer stretch from Verres to Sestriere, with an uncategorized climb on a gravel road to the Colle delle Finestre.

"I have the same chances of winning as I did before the Giro, and I just want to be a calm, normal guy," Del Toro said of today's Saturday session.

“A good dinner and hotel, then we start all over again in the morning.”

Frenchman Nicolas Prodhomme claimed the biggest victory of his career yesterday in the Giro's queen stage, crossing the line 58 seconds ahead of the Mexican rider and Carapaz.

Del Toro widened his lead over Carapaz in the overall standings to 43 seconds. Simon Yates remained third, but dropped back to 1 minute, 22 seconds behind Del Toro.

The stage featured 5,000 meters of elevation gain over five climbs, three of which were out of category, on a 166-kilometer route from Biella to Champoluc.

Side by side

Del Toro had an intense one-on-one with Carapaz at the end. “When he attacked, I was able to follow him, and on the other hand, we both played confidently. We wanted to avoid falls and risks,” explained Del Toro.

He also praised the work of his team, which controlled the breakaway at all times and protected the leader until the very end.

“My team was there the whole time; they're incredible. We're missing two riders, but we're still very strong. Everyone motivates me and gives me so much confidence. Giving it my all is the least I can do in return. It's an overwhelming feeling.”