Isaac del Toro closes in Tuscany with a roar

▲ The Baja California native won the final sprint of the Gran Premio Industria & Artigianato di Larciano. Photo @isaac_deltoro_romero1

Prensa Latina and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, September 8, 2025, p. 9

Rome. Mexican Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) won the 47th edition of the Gran Premio Industria & Artigianato di Larciano, beating Italian Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana) and Davide Piganzoli (Polti-VisitMalta) in the sprint .

The young man from Ensenada, who has established himself as one of the leading figures in the international peloton in 2025, completed the demanding 196 kilometers through Tuscany in four hours, 32 minutes, and 47 seconds. His victory marked the 81st win of the season for UAE Team Emirates, approaching the all-time record set by Columbia-HTC in 2009.

The race, part of the UCI ProSeries calendar, came alive on the final climb to San Baronto, where Del Toro responded to attacks from Scaroni, Piganzoli, Joris Delbove (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale), and Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates). With 12 kilometers remaining, the Mexican launched a key offensive on the technical descent toward Larciano.

In the final sprint , Del Toro showed composure and power to overtake his rivals, securing his tenth personal victory of the season and succeeding his teammate, the Swiss Marc Hirschi, winner in 2024.

Protests continue

Danish rider Mads Pedersen won stage 15 of the Vuelta a España this Sunday, between Vegadeo and Monforte de Lemos, a stage marked once again by pro-Palestinian protests that led to the crash of Spanish rider Javier Romo.

The group that included leader Jonas Vingegard arrived 13 minutes and 31 seconds later—but retains the red jersey —taking a relaxing day on the bike before the official rest day.

With 56 kilometers remaining, an activist with a Palestinian flag, hidden among some trees, tried to access the roadway as the cyclists passed, but stumbled and failed.

However, Romo turned around to see what had happened and then fell. As he fell, he took Edward Planckaert with him. The Movistar rider got up, addressed the protester without further incident, and then continued racing.

At the finish line, security forces set up a double security barrier to prevent the attacks of people opposed to the presence of the Israel Primer-Tech formation.

At least 10 people were arrested for disturbing public order, according to the Spanish press, which added that pro-Palestinian activists hacked into the Vuelta radio station during some sections of Saturday's stage between Avilés and La Farrapona. They interrupted the event with slogans and protest songs.

▲ The six-time Grand Slam champion hasn't lost his essence of providing a spectacle for the fans. Photo AP

AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, September 8, 2025, p. a10

New York., Sleeveless shirt, a haircut that caused a stir, matches with golf stars: Carlos Alcaraz is a champion hungry for titles and freedom who has found the key to consistency at this U.S. Open.

The Spaniard closed out the Grand Slam season yesterday with a major upset of Jannik Sinner, whom he defeated 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the final, knocking him off the top spot in the ATP rankings .

A six-time Grand Slam champion at just 22 years of age, Alcaraz is advancing at the pace of the biggest giants in his sport without losing his core commitment to providing a spectacle for fans.

“I want to become the greatest in history, but the most important thing is to have fun,” he summed up in a recent Netflix documentary about him, which raised a bit of a stir.

In My Way , Rafael Nadal's heir defends his quest for balance between a stellar career and a twenty-something's desire to enjoy life's pleasures. This season, he seems to have achieved that harmony.

He has achieved more titles (seven) and won matches (61) than anyone else on the circuit, while taking periods of rest when needed to disconnect with his family and friends.

With a perpetual smile, Alcaraz never gives up the magic that captivates both tennis fans and casual spectators, and which yesterday made another magician like Stephen Curry clutch his head, but he has significantly increased his efficiency.

“I try to be as consistent as possible without neglecting the other things,” he says of his vocation for showmanship. “We've seen it in these matches; there were highlights from me and the opponent, and that's what people like.”

In New York, where he didn't drop a single set until the final, he didn't suffer any of the numerous lapses that led to painful defeats in the past.

“What I've improved the most is consistency and not having ups and downs during matches,” Alcaraz reflected. “I've also realized how important it is to take care of every detail off the court.”

The start of the game was delayed for about half an hour while thousands of fans were trapped outside Arthur Ashe Stadium, passing through additional security, because President Donald Trump was seated in a sponsor's suite. The U.S. president received some cheers but also expressions of discontent from those in attendance.

▲ The Red Bull driver and four-time world champion celebrates his third win of the season. AP Photo

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, September 8, 2025, p. a10

Monza. After several months without success, Max Verstappen took a dominant victory at the Italian Grand Prix, ahead of title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both McLaren drivers.

It was Verstappen's first win since May and just his third of the season in a spectacular weekend at Monza for the four-time Red Bull world champion, who set the fastest lap in Formula One history at the circuit on Saturday to claim pole .

“That was amazing, guys! Well done, everyone,” Verstappen said over team radio. “We executed it really well. What an incredible weekend. We can be really proud of that.”

Norris finished second, almost 20 seconds behind Verstappen, reducing the gap to Piastri in the title race to 31 points. He had started the day 34 points behind the Australian driver, who was unhappy after being ordered to let his teammate pass towards the end of the race.

The change came after Norris had a slow pit stop, which appeared to put his title chances in further jeopardy when he came out behind his teammate, but McLaren ordered Piastri to let the British driver past, which he did despite complaining about the decision over team radio.

“I felt like I was there for quite a while,” Norris said. “Every now and then we make mistakes as a team, and this was one of them.”

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton put in solid performances at the team's home race.

Cheered on by the passionate red-clad tifosi, Leclerc finished fourth while Hamilton charged through the field at the start to cross the line in sixth, having started from tenth following a five-place grid penalty.

Norris was desperate to recover from a disastrous Dutch Grand Prix when he was forced to retire with a rare engine problem. Starting from second place at Monza, he clashed with Verstappen from the start and was forced onto the grass at the first corner.

“I always know it’s going to be a good fight with Max, and it was,” Norris said. “One of those weekends where we’re a little slower, but it’s a good fight, and I enjoyed it.”

Verstappen was told to give up the spot, which he duly did, but the Red Bull driver reclaimed the lead at the start of lap four, passing Norris at Turn 1. From there, it was almost a procession to victory for Verstappen.

▲ The Mexican midfielder (left) left the match against Japan due to a muscle injury. Photo @miseleccionmx

Alberto Aceves

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, September 8, 2025, p. a11

The injury to midfielder Edson Álvarez, Mexico's captain for the 2026 World Cup, is generating the same signs of concern that have been exacerbated in previous lawsuits over excessive match play. From 1970 to the present, cruciate ligament tears, tibia and fibula fractures, ankle and meniscus problems have prevented players such as Alberto Onofre, Francisco Javier Abuelo Cruz, Claudio Suárez, Luis Montes, and Jesús Tecatito Corona, among others, from making the World Cup just months before their final call-up.

Álvarez requested a substitution 28 minutes into the match against Japan due to a muscle injury in his right thigh. “I'm not frustrated. In a way, I knew I made it to that World Cup (Russia 2018), but because of the injury, I couldn't be there. I was frustrated watching the games on TV,” recalls former footballer Luis Montes, referring to the fractured tibia and fibula in his right leg that kept him out of Brazil 2014 in a friendly against Ecuador. National team coach Javier Aguirre is still awaiting a report that could confirm the Turkish Fenerbahce signing's absence for the coming weeks.

“Yesterday, Edson felt worse than he does now. We'll see what the doctors say,” he said at the press conference after the draw with the Japanese side. Although there are just over nine months left until the start of the World Cup, the Tricolor team has a history of injuries that have hindered not only years of preparation and selection, but also the final build-up of the team for the Cup. “We're calm, trying to continue playing the way Vasco wants. The lesson this teaches us is that we have to be 100 percent against any opponent, because these are teams that will be in the tournament,” explains Toluca full-back Jesús Gallardo, referring to the players' physical condition.

In the 1970 edition, former midfielder Alberto Onofre, one of the greatest creative talents Mexican soccer has ever had, suffered a double injury—to his tibia and fibula—three days before the World Cup held in the country. That injury forced him to undergo surgery from which he was unable to recover, forcing him to retire. Francisco Javier Cruz, the architect of Mexico's qualification for the 1994 U.S. Cup, suffered a similar fate. In the decisive match against Canada, "El Abuelo" suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee, which ruled him out of the World Cup.

Other players selected, such as Claudio Suárez (Korea-Japan 2002), Juan Carlos Medina (Brazil 2014), and Jesús Corona (Qatar 2022), were sidelined due to various injuries and physical ailments. Suárez's case is striking: during a training camp prior to the FIFA Cup, the defender suffered a fractured right fibula, from which he spent over two months recovering. When he was back in shape, Aguirre removed him from the final squad against all odds. "Competition, in that sense, is very important. Having Marcel (Ruiz), Carlos (Rodríguez), Orbelín (Pineda), and Edson (Álvarez), when he returns, will make us all grow," says América's defensive midfielder, Erick Sánchez.

The Mexican Football Federation announced yesterday the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Japan Football Federation to strengthen bilateral cooperation in sports, professional, and administrative development. It establishes a general framework that will allow for the planning, development, and implementation of specific activities for the exchange of knowledge and best practices between both parties.