Isaac del Toro suffers a spectacular fall 300 meters from the finish line

▲ Screenshot of the moment when the Mexican (right) falls and also knocks down the Italian Giulio Ciccone, yesterday in the Vuelta a Burgos Photo

Juan Manuel Vázquez

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, August 6, 2025, p. a11

It was like a bad omen, but in cycling, chance sometimes works in unpredictable ways. Mexican Isaac del Toro crashed 300 meters from the finish line in the Vuelta a Burgos, just as he was fighting for a strong position in the overall standings and living up to his hopes of being the favorite in this race.

But sport is fertile ground for superstition. On Sunday, after winning at the Getxe Circuit, Del Toro warned against excesses of enthusiasm, saying that we should simply enjoy the present, because anything can happen and everything changes . The following day, the 21-year-old Baja Californian dazzled with a historic finish for a Mexican, placing seventh in the UCI (International Cycling Union) rankings .

Yesterday, on the final climb to Burgos Castle, where the finish line is located, Del Toro launched himself against the breakaways and attacked a treacherous curve, one of those most feared by cyclists. It was the cobblestones, the incline, the anxiety of the attack, or pure chance, but the tricolor slipped on that slope and brought down the other favorite, Giulio Ciccone, who had won the San Sebastián Classic on Saturday.

That crash left Del Toro in 49th place, with no reports of serious injuries beyond scrapes and some muscle soreness, although he is 11 seconds behind the stage winner, Spaniard Roger Adrià. What must hurt more, however, is that climbing out of that dark hole in the overall standings could complicate his hopes of winning this five-stage race, the prelude to the Vuelta a España, in which he will not compete due to the regulations of his team, UAE Emirates.

According to UAE regulations, no young rider under 25 years of age can compete in more than one Grand Tour in a single season. This measure is intended to safeguard the physical and emotional integrity of competitors who are still maturing. After the Baja California native became a hero by unexpectedly securing second place in the Giro d'Italia, where he also led the overall standings for 11 days, he was left without any chance of competing in another major event in 2025.

Alfredo Pérez Cuapio, the only Mexican before Isaac del Toro to win stages in the Corsa Rosa, welcomes this UAE regulatory measure, as he believes that otherwise the future of a promising cyclist is jeopardized.

We have to understand that Del Toro is having a magnificent season and is a very complete cyclist, much more so than any Mexican before him, but we must not lose sight of the fact that he is not yet established , warns Pérez Cuapio.

I think he's a cyclist who is still maturing and has a lot of potential, but we have to let him develop without unnecessary pressure , he adds.

Regarding the crash, Pérez Cuapio isn't worried. He knows firsthand, and never better expressed, what happens to a bruised body, fueled by the adrenaline rush. During his time competing in the Giro, he recalls a crash in which he lost two teeth. A few days later, he would win a stage as if he had never suffered the mishap.

What will be difficult for Isaac will be getting into the fight for the overall standings, because he's far behind. But in cycling, nothing is predictable, and we'll have to see how things turn out , he adds.

AP and Prensa Latina

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, August 6, 2025, p. a11

Washington. President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday at the White House establishing a task force to oversee the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. According to the president, this decision will mobilize the entire federal government to ensure the games are safe, smooth, and a historic success .

The order requires the task force to coordinate security and planning for the summer games, and expedite visa processing and accreditation for athletes, coaches, media, and other visitors arriving in the United States.

The team—led by the president himself—includes Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

At the event, Trump praised Gene Sykes, chairman of the board of directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), for his decision a few weeks ago to ban transgender women from competing in women's sports.

"The United States will not allow men to steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympic Games," said the US president, who wondered why he didn't hear applause in the room when he praised Sykes for doing so.

In February, Trump signed another such provision directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office and the Department of Homeland Security to review and adjust policies regarding the participation of transgender athletes and issue guidelines aimed at preventing their entry into the United States.

▲ The executive order establishes the creation of a working group to oversee all planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, which is headed by the U.S. president himself. AP Photo

This measure has been criticized by human rights advocates because it discriminates against a minority of athletes with this condition.

On Monday, Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it has updated its immigration policy to restrict visa issuance to trans women who want to compete in women's sports.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump considers it a great honor to oversee this global sporting spectacle , calling sports one of the president's greatest passions .

Casey Wasserman, LA28 President and CEO, said the task force marks an important step in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not only the biggest, but the best Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028 .

Trump also chairs a federal task force to oversee preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which the United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host.

The recent law pushed by the president in Congress will allocate $1 billion in federal funds to finance security and planning for the summer tournament, in addition to $625 million for the World Cup.

The Olympic Games will have events in other cities in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, as well as two venues in Oklahoma City.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, August 6, 2025, p. a12

Toluca knows what it's like to win in adverse circumstances. It's not that their opponents are easy to beat, but the reigning Mexican soccer champions are shaping the theory of a segment of fans and analysts of the sport that assumes exponential growth in MLS over Liga MX. The Diablos are the first participant in the national tournament to advance to the next phase of the Leagues Cup with a draw and two wins, including yesterday's 2-1 victory over New York City FC at the legendary Yankee Stadium.

If there was a team that competed under protest from the start of the tournament, it was Toluca. Their coach, Argentine Antonio Mohamed, criticized the changes in format, the saturation of matches, the travel, and the limited recovery time for his players between matches. "It's unfair, because winning all three matches can lead to elimination ," the Turk claimed in his first press conferences.

The wear and tear took its toll on the Devils, but not enough. Like Montreal and the Columbus Crew, whom they defeated on penalties, New York City received a slap in the face from the Mexican champion despite leading from the 10th minute, when Alonso Martínez beat goalkeeper Luis Manuel García with a right-footed shot. The Scarlets' reaction was swift. With two strikes from the left and right, Jesús Angulo (37) and the Portuguese Paulinho (39) turned the game around and, in the process, paid tribute to Uruguayan Bruno Méndez, who suffered the loss of his father.

▲ Portuguese forward Paulinho continues to respond, scoring the Scarlets' comeback goal yesterday. Photo @Tolucafc

Mohamed's team earned eight out of nine possible points, leading the Liga MX table.

In Montreal, Puebla defeated the home team 2-1 with goals from Emiliano Gómez (58) and Ricardo Marín (73). Puebla, still waiting to confirm their place in the knockout stages, was reduced to one man after Raúl Castillo was sent off. Canadian Joel Waterman also received a red card.

León faced a different reality when participating in this tournament. Excluded from the Club World Cup due to timeshare, La Fiera returned to the international scene with the Leagues Cup, although they ended up going away without a win in three matches. Yesterday, at Lower Field, the Columbus Crew won 1-0, sealing the return of the Esmeraldas.

Finally, Pachuca authoritatively resolved the challenge that the Houston Dynamo posed to them at the Shell Energy stadium and, thanks to goals from Luis Quiñones (24) and Gastón Togni (85), entered the group of Mexican representatives who are heading towards the playoffs .

Arturo Sánchez Jiménez

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, August 6, 2025, p. a12

The governments of Canada, the United States, and Mexico held the first high-level trilateral coordination meeting to prepare for the security of the 2026 World Cup, with a special focus on preventing threats from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS), the U.S. State Department reported yesterday.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente; Mexico's World Cup representative, Gabriela Cuevas; Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup working group; senior officials from the U.S. Department of State and the National Security Council; and Cameron MacKay, Canadian Ambassador to Mexico, among others.

In a joint statement, the three governments emphasized that the 2026 World Cup will be a historic tournament for North America, uniting the three nations and showcasing their capacity for regional cooperation to the world. In this context, a three-day exchange of experts in security, technology, and public policy was held to address challenges related to the use of drones and strengthen joint response capabilities.

The meeting included a roundtable discussion with leading companies from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, enabling a public-private dialogue on technological solutions and innovative strategies to mitigate threats. According to the statement, this collaboration seeks to close policy and technology gaps that could affect the three countries' ability to respond to emerging risks.

The governments of the three nations emphasized that this meeting is the first in a series of initiatives aimed at ensuring a safe and successful World Cup. The trilateral coordination, based on information sharing, joint planning, and cooperation with industry, reflects the shared commitment to regional security and the protection of tournament attendees.

Working together will ensure that the 2026 World Cup is not only a celebration of sport, but also a testament to the strength of our partnership and the values we share , the statement concluded.

▲ At Snapdragon Stadium in California, Mazatlán FC fell 2-0 to San Diego FC and was practically eliminated. Photo: San Diego FC

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, August 6, 2025, p. a35

Tigres had the match under control, but their errors and LAFC's decisiveness resulted in their first defeat in the Leagues Cup, falling 2-1 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The Tigres now need a combination of results to advance to the next round of the tournament being played in the United States.

Despite the dominance the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL) team had in the first half, goals from Venezuelan David Martínez (38 from a penalty kick and 64 from a penalty kick) turned the game around for the Angelenos. Martínez took advantage of his skill and ability in the long spaces and made no mistake when finishing his plays against Argentine goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán.

Although Edgar Lopez's goal brought the Monterrey team closer (47), LAFC closed ranks to secure the victory and place themselves in playoff qualification positions.

Meanwhile, at Snap-Dragon Stadium in California, Mazatlán FC fell 2-0 to San Diego FC and was practically eliminated after three matches of the tournament.

Finland's Onni Valakari scored a brace and became the star of the match (66 and 74). Due to the desperation and superiority of their opponent, the Sinaloans suffered the expulsion of Colombian Nicolás Benedetti.