Isaac del Toro and UAE Team Emirates agree longest contract in the WorldTour

20-year-old Mexican has extended his current contract by a further three years, committing himself to the team through to 2029

10:00, Tuesday 23rd April 2024

George Poole

Junior Writer

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Isaac del Toro claimed his first professional victory at the Santos Tour Down Under in January, winning the stage 2 uphill finish

A little over three months since making his WorldTour debut for UAE Team Emirates, young Mexican rider Isaac del Toro has agreed to a three-year contract extension that will see him remain with his current team through to the end of 2029.

UAE Team Emirates signed the Tour de l'Avenir winner to their ranks on an original three-year contract last October, which saw him make his professional debut at the Santos Tour Down Under in January. It did not take long for the 20-year-old climber to make a good first impression, with Del Toro winning stage 2 in unexpected fashion.

Since getting the jump on the peloton's sprinters that day, Del Toro has continued to impress and most recently claimed a top 10 in the Giro della Romagna. With his contract now six years in length, the 20-year-old will remain with UAE Team Emirates until the end of 2029.

"Since coming to the team everything has been like a dream, it has been perfect. I’m very grateful for the team for showing me the trust and giving me the opportunity to be part of this special group, it feels amazing," said Del Toro.

"I am learning everyday and still have I’m taking it all in and enjoying as much as possible with my feet on the ground and a lot of excitement for what is to come."

The contract extension now gives Del Toro the honour of holding the longest contract across both the men's and Women's WorldTours, with a little under six years still to run on his deal.

For reference, the longest deals are naturally held by the top superstars of the sport, with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) all currently signed to contracts through to the end of 2028.

Tadej Pogačar, meanwhile, is contracted with UAE Team Emirates until 2027, Remco Evenepoel with Soudal Quick-Step until 2026 and Primož Roglič with Bora-Hansgrohe until 2025.

"We are very pleased to announce that Isaac will continue in the UAE colours for years to come. We knew already his capability as a rider and his level of talent and his progression has been very impressive so far and we feel he has integrated very well into the team since his arrival," said UAE Team Emirates team principal and CEO Mauro Gianetti.

"He is still young and the plan will be to continue to learn and grow as a rider and as a person in a good environment. We continue to be committed to our project to develop young talent and build for the future.”

Del Toro's new extension will see him race for UAE Team Emirates until he turns 26.

After his third-place finish overall at the Santos Tour Down Under, Del Toro earned co-team leadership at the Volta ao Algarve, where he notched up a commendable time trial performance but didn't start the final stage through sickness.

However, he bounced back at Tirreno-Adriatico to finish fourth overall, finishing above the likes of Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) and Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bora-Hansgrohe).

After first coming to public attention with his win at the prestigious Tour de l'Avenir last year, the future looks bright in the WorldTour for Del Toro and UAE Team Emirates.

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