Every day that Isaac del Toro spends in the pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia represents a new step towards his maturation as a rider and potentially towards the final victory in Rome .

The 21-year-old Mexican is making the most of every moment with the symbol of the lead, showing extraordinary form: he launches himself into intermediate sprints for time bonuses and defends his advantage over his teammate and potential rival Juan Ayuso .

Del Toro is making history stage after stage : he is the first twenty-one-year-old to wear the pink jersey for so long since Beppe Saronni in 1979. Historical comparisons abound: from Damiano Cunego, winner of the Giro at the age of 22 in 2004, to Fausto Coppi who triumphed in 1940 at just 20 years old.

While continuing to play down his chances of overall victory, del Toro admitted that his outlook could change if he retains the pink jersey after next Tuesday's mountain stage finishing in San Valentino, above Trento.

' Why not? ' he said honestly. 'If others believe in me but I don't believe in myself, then there's a problem. This is my dream and I'm working towards it. Every day I say it's incredible. No one can tell you when you're ready, but I believe in myself.'

The Mexican is riding smart, picking up time bonuses: on stage 13 he grabbed more precious seconds both at the intermediate sprint and at the finish line in Monte Berico, extending his lead over Ayuso to 38 seconds.

With his instinctive style and youthful enthusiasm, Del Toro could have what it takes to aim for the overall victory of the 2025 Giro.