White smoke appeared to emerge from the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:UAE Team Emirates-XRG hotel at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d'Italia, just as it recently did in the Vatican when a new Pope was elected, with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Isaac del Toro nominated as the team's protected leader for the fin♏al decisive mountain stages.  

A week ago, Del Toro and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Juan Ayuso sat on each side 🍰of UAE sports manager Joxean Matxin f𒁃or the rest-day video press conference. 

On the third res♔t day on Monday, Ayuso was absent from the call, with directeur sportif Fabio Baldato and Matxin flanking Del Toro and answering quest🌼ions.  

Del Toro appears to be UAE Team Emirate🗹s-XRG's chosen leader, with no indication of Ayuso's role or a possible shared leadership. The media were not invi🐻ted to the UAE team hotel, as is often the case during Grand Tours.

"Our idea, our goal, is for👍 the team to ride compact around our leader, Isaac," Baldato said, using the singular 'leader' twice in his comments. 

Matxin was equally clear. 

"It's clear that Isaac has shown he is the strongest rider in the race; he's the leader with 1:20 on the second rider, thr🌠ough his own merit𓄧s," Matxin said in Spanish.  

"We'll defend it and help to 🔯maintain this situation. We'll obviously act in accordaಞnce with his position in GC and what he's shown in the race; he's earned that place on GC through his own merits." 

Matxin also praised Del Toro.

"He's a super honest man. When he was asked to help, for examp♛le at Tirreno, he helped. At Milano-Torino, he was ready to try to win. He's a real pro. He's pro, pro, pro," he said.

"Now he's in the pink j🌸ersey, he's the best rider in the race, and he's in the best shape. We hope it continues🀅 this way." 

Del Toro has ea🍬rned his leaderꦅship position by attacking and gaining time on the gravel stage to Siena. He then extended his lead by sweeping up time bonuses and gained further time by finishing in the front group on the stage to Gorizia. 

He leads Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a ﷽🥃Bike) by 1:20, with Ayuso third overall at 1:26. 

The Giro d'Italia GC remains close, with the top ten🥀 all less than four minutes down. Primoz  Roglic (Red B𝔍ull-Bora-Hansgrohe) slipped to tenth at 3:53 after suffering from his crash injuries. 

D✃el Toro sat between Matxin and Baldato in the video call and spoke in a quieter voice.

The 21-year-old Mexican appears slightly nervous about the task he faces, b𒉰ut seems ready to fight for victory in the four mountain stages between Tuesday and the final parade stage in Rome on Sunday.

"I t🌃hink I'm in one of the best shapes of my life🦹," Del Toro said.

"This last week is difficult for ev💦erybod♎y, but I need to believe I can do it. I want to be smart and do the best we can, and manage things with the team in the last week for the GC.

"I also want to enjoy it with my t🌱eammates. They have a lot more experience. I just want to follow them, and I don't want 🦹to feel the pressure."

"Obviously, with Ayuso third and me in firꦡst, we're in a very good position to defend a bit. We'll have to be very attentive. Fortunately, we are in a great place, so we can put pressure on the other teams."

Del Toro admitted he has perhap🧸s so far raced too much on instinct, following attacks and different rivals, as he did when Egan Bernal, Richard Carapaz and Thymen Arensman attacked near the top of Monte Grappa on Sunday with 90km to race.

"Maybe I'm not so smart sometimes, and maybe I need 🌊to think about it more. I'm new in this position," he said.

"I know people will t𒀰ry attacks, and I always want to be attentive, be in the best position and defend well. Not by being so offensive, but by being at the front of the race and knowing what is happening. For sure, I follow my instinct sometimes, but I also need to be smarter."

Bal💦🍰dato named Del Toro's biggest rivals but highlighted the strength of the UAE team at the Giro.

"For ඣsure, the Giro is about the last week. Starting from tomorrow and especially with Friday and Sat𝓡urday's stage, will be the final battle," Baldato made clear.

"We're not scared, we want to stay together and really race like a te💞am. We're strong, as we saw in the mountains, if we stay together. That is why we stay close together.

"ꦕOn Sunday, there was a selection of 50 riders, and we had almost everybody there. That's our mentality and our goal ꧋for the next week.

"We respect📖 everyone. It's important to stay as ജmuch as we can with our leader, Isaac."

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