"I had a moment of inattention, he took off and surprised me" - Seixas admits a naïve mistake in sprint against Del Toro
CyclingSunday, 13 September 2026 at 23:09
Paul Seixas is back on race podium. And as it happens to have come at the Grand Prix de Montréal, it's just in time for the World Championships in two weeks. That is because the rainbow race takes place on the same venue, and with as close to identical as possible startlist too. Seixas can certainly aim high on September 27.
The Frenchman had not raced since the Tour de France in July, taking a month off action. His return at Grand Prix de Québec was not a disaster - but a 17th place is far from Seixas' expectations.
But that race was more of an appetizer for the main dish of the week that was the crash-test of a World Championship circuit in Montréal during Sunday's Grand Prix. Since the Championship race copies the circuit race on Sunday, Seixas and all other favourites made sure to learn every nook and cranny of the local circuit which they'll have plenty opportunity to recon over the coming two weeks.
Seixas did not hide during test-race
As for the race itself; through many attacks, Seixas himself set out on an offensive with 12 kilometers with an attack which was countered only by Isaac del Toro. The two continued together towards a sprint where the Mexican proved faster and defended Tadej Pogacar's title in the Slovenian's absence.
"I had a moment of inattention because I was trying to figure out where we were... He took off and surprised me. He was simply stronger," Seixas later admitted to the race organizers.
Good sensations towards Worlds
Although Seixas appeared to have been in rather good state of mind on Sunday, the Decathlon CMA CGM rider surprised with his statement afterwards where he confided to have not been at his best yet.
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"I didn't feel particularly good all day. I think I was a bit too fresh - I didn't ride enough yesterday - but that's how it is. I made the most of what I had today, and it was still a very good performance. I felt that I’ve gained power since the Tour. I think there’s still room for improvement - I hope so, anyway," Seixas concluded. The 19-year-old is eyeing to culminate his form in two weeks, ideally spanning across to the European Championships (October 4) and Il Lombardia (October 10).
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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