On today’s episode of the podcast we talk about Mexican cycling phenomenon Isaac Del Toro, an athlete who captured the world’s attention with his achievements in 2025. We also look at how sports have helped shape and develop Modern Mexico’s identify, and how Mexico’s social and political context have impacted the country’s athletes. Within the world of sports, Isaac Del Toro is Mexico’s top star right now. Host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks about how he traveled to Italy to watch Del Toro compete at the Giro d’Italia, Italy’s biggest cycling race, and wrote about Del Toro for the British magazine ROULEUR. Historian David Wysocki talks about his research on the history of sports in Mexico. They also discuss the culture vs institutions debate.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

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