"Even when Remco doesn’t feel great, he’s still one of the best riders in the peloton" - Maxim van Gils hints at Paul Seixas being the man to beat in Montréal
CyclingSaturday, 12 September 2026 at 11:00
Maxim van GIls finished 12th at the GP de Québec, where he finished alongside Paul Seixas. The Frenchman has been named the man to beat for van Gils at the GP de Montréal, even though he knows Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe were bettter than the competition this Friday in Canada.
“It wasn't super explosive or wide open. It was a fairly long finale, and the race dynamics were hard to read," van GIls shared with Wielerflits. "I think we perhaps weren't the strongest on the climbs. So, you had to make the race hard and try to follow the right moves on the flat sections.”
The GP de Québec has turned into a more tactical race with the new and harder circuit, which puts the main climbers and classics specialists within range of making the difference from far out. Anticipating the other big names, Remco Evenepoel's attack saw him go with Giulio Ciccone, with both teams then covering the chase on the explosive circuit.
“We’ve been in Canada for two days. I think you know what jet lag feels like yourself. I was missing a little something. But ultimately, we rode a good race".
Van Gils important in Remco Evenepoel's winning move
"I was up front at the right time when Remco attacked, so I could sit back and disrupt the chase a little," the Belgian explains, also having helped in his own individual result. But this success came as a surprise, as the feedback during the run-in to the race, and the race itself, was not the best.
“After a hundred kilometers, we were riding together and he said, ‘I don’t feel great.’ But even when Remco doesn’t feel great, he’s still one of the best riders in the peloton.”
The victory against Giulio Ciccone on Evenepoel's return to competition proved to be convincing. "You don’t always have to ride away solo. The most important thing is that we won, and we’re very happy about that.”
Remco Evenepoel was the winner of the Clasica San Sebastian
Paul Seixas impresses van Gils
However, the Belgian doesn't want the pressure in Red Bull this Sunday on the tougher Montréal circuit, and has placed the pressure on one of the names he was following throughout the finale: Paul Seixas.
“That young Frenchman was riding really fast on the climbs. He made the biggest impression on me because he didn’t go with the moves during those key moments. But he is definitely the man to beat on Sunday.”
On Quinn Simmons, equal praise: “He’s a super-strong rider; he showed that in the Tour as well. He’s a very dangerous rider for Sunday, too. I think the entire Lidl-Trek team is going to be dangerous, for that matter.”
Van Gils on his side will likely have more of a domestique role tomorrow to assist Evenepoel in the key pre-worlds test. “It’s never easy. Every race gets harder and harder to win. But you have two chances. If you manage to win one of the two, you can be very happy.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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