Mexico's Del Toro completes a full week in pink. He's got 1 more week to go to win the Giro

ASIAGO, Italy (AP) — Mexican rider Isaac Del Toro has worn the Giro d’Italia leader’s pink jersey for one week.

Now he’s got one more week to go as the 21-year-old attempts to beat all of the pre-race favorites and claim his first Grand Tour victory.

And what a final week it will be, with all of the biggest climbs in this year’s race grouped together before the Giro ends in Rome next Sunday.

“Little by little,” Del Toro said. "I want to bring it (the pink jersey) home.

“We need to play with the cards that are there and we will see who we play in the last week," Del Toro added. "But for sure I showed a little bit that I am quite good.”

Del Toro closed down attack after attack on the two climbs of the 15th stage Sunday and maintained his advantage of 1 minute, 20 seconds over Simon Yates.

“It’s not easy,” Del Toro said. “I need to be there when someone strong goes."

Notably, pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic, the 2023 champion who was fifth overall, was dropped on the second climb and fell to 10th, 3:53 behind.

Spanish rider Carlos Verona got into an early breakaway and won the stage on his own for the biggest victory of his career.

The 219-kilometer (136-mile) route from Fiume Veneto to Asiago included a big climb up Monte Grappa at the stage’s midpoint.

Egan Bernal, the 2021 champion, attacked near the top of Monte Grappa and Del Toro was quick to follow. As was Richard Carapaz, the 2019 champion, before all of the leaders came back together following the descent.

There were more attacks on another, shorter climb to Dori, with a summit 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the finish. But Del Toro, the first Mexican rider to wear the pink jersey, was the first to react to all of those attacks, too.

“It was a bit nervous,” Del Toro said of his week. “I always want to be in front for precaution.”

It’s only Del Toro’s second Grand Tour. He finished 36th in the Spanish Vuelta last year.

“In my position I feel nervous because everyone is my idol. I am like a fan,” Del Toro said. “But now I need to follow the attacks. I know it’s going to happen now, now, now, and I’m just waiting. Being able to follow is crazy.”

In the overall standings, Del Toro’s UAE Team Emirates teammate Juan Ayuso remained third, 1:26 behind. Carapaz is fourth, 2:07 behind, and Derek Gee of Canada moved up to fifth, 2:54 behind.

Verona dedicated his victory to Giulio Ciccone, his Lidl-Trek teammate and leader, who abandoned the race following a crash on Saturday.

Monday is the race’s third and final rest day.

Stage 16 on Tuesday is one of the race’s toughest, a 203-kilometer (126-mile) leg from Piazzola Sul Brenta to San Valentino that includes four major climbs across the Dolomites — including an uphill finish.

AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

Mexico's Isaac Del Toro Romero of Uae Team Emirates Xrg celebrates after the stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia from Fiume Veneto to Asiago, Italy, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Britain's Simon Yates of Team Visma-Lease A Bike, right, and Mexico's Isaac Del Toro Romero of Uae Team Emirates Xrg, second from right, compete during the stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia from Fiume Veneto to Asiago, Italy, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Spain's Carlos Verona of Lidl-Trek celebrates after the stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia from Fiume Veneto to Asiago, Italy, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

Mexico's Isaac Del Toro Romero, third from left, competes during the stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia from Fiume Veneto to Asiago, Italy, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

The pack rides during the stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia from Fiume Veneto to Asiago, Italy, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Mexico's Isaac Del Toro Romero, centre, competes during the stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia from Fiume Veneto to Asiago, Italy, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Ecuador Richard Carapaz, right, and Mexico's Isaac Del Toro Romero, centre, compete during the stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia from Fiume Veneto to Asiago, Italy, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)