Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas clash in November - Cycling's new rivalry on show this weekend as pair renew Tour de France battle
Cycling
World cycling has a new rivalry that promises to make headlines in the years ahead. Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas will share the road again on Sunday, 8 November, this time on the streets of Singapore, where they will headline the 2026 Tour de France EFGH Singapore Criterium.
The event, backed by Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), has confirmed both young talents for the fifth edition of a race that has become one of the leading international events on the cycling exhibition calendar. The course will pass around Marina Bay and Padang, giving fans the chance to see some of the peloton’s biggest stars up close.
Del Toro will arrive in Singapore after an outstanding 2026 season. The 22-year-old Mexican finished third overall at the Tour de France and claimed the white jersey as best young rider for a second time, confirming the progress he had already shown the previous season.
His breakthrough came at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, where he finished second overall on his Grand Tour debut and won the young riders’ classification. Since then, his rise has been remarkable, and he is already among the riders tipped to shape an era.
Isaac del Toro, a star of world cycling
Paul Seixas, French cycling’s great hope
Standing opposite him will be Paul Seixas, one of the standout names of the 2026 season. At just 19, the Frenchman made a historic Tour de France debut, becoming his country’s youngest participant in the race in 89 years.
His fourth place overall was one of the race’s biggest stories. Seixas mixed it with the best in a top-level event and delivered a result that marks him out as one of the great talents of French cycling’s future. His performance also saw him join a select group of French riders to achieve such a strong overall result since Bernard Hinault became the last Frenchman to win the Tour de France in 1985.
But the rivalry between Del Toro and Seixas is not confined to the Tour. They met again in early November at the GP de Montréal, where the Mexican beat the Frenchman in an exciting final sprint. The result added another chapter to a rivalry that could become one of cycling’s defining stories in the years ahead.
Philipsen and Girmay set for another top-level duel
The presence of Del Toro and Seixas will not be the event’s only attraction. Jasper Philipsen and Biniam Girmay will also be in Singapore, renewing an intriguing battle between two of the peloton’s best sprinters.
They finished second and third, respectively, in the 2026 Tour de France points classification. Philipsen also kept the fight for the green jersey alive well into the final week, thanks to his stage 17 victory on a route through the foothills of the Alps.
Both sprinters know what it takes to race this Criterium. In the 2025 edition, they finished second and third, respectively, behind Italy’s Jonathan Milan, who took the win.
The fifth edition will therefore feature four top-class riders, who will also take part in various fan activities over the weekend. One highlight is the CEO Breakfast Ride by Capgemini, a non-competitive ride that will let business leaders share the course with professional cyclists before the Criterium.
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Changes for the fifth edition of the Criterium
Organisers have also announced a new feature for 2026. An opening parade will take place for the first time on Sunday, 8 November, between the professional team time trial and the professional Criterium. A convoy of sponsor vehicles will complete a full lap of the course, following a tradition inspired by the Tour de France publicity caravan.
The Tour de France Singapore Criterium began in 2022 as the first event linked to the French race to be held in Southeast Asia. Since then, winners have included the likes of Jonas Vingegaard, Jasper Philipsen, Mark Cavendish and Jonathan Milan.
Now in its fifth edition, the presence of Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas adds a special attraction. It is not simply a chance to bring together two of cycling’s brightest prospects, but also an opportunity to see how a rivalry that has already produced its first high-level clashes continues to develop.
Singapore Criterium winners:
| Year | Winner |
| 2022 | Jonas Vingegaard |
| 2023 | Jasper Philipsen |
| 2024 | Mark Cavendish |
| 2025 | Jonathan Milan |
| 2026 | 8 November |
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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