Results GP de Montreal 2026 - Isaac del Toro beats Paul Seixas as duo dominate with final lap surge as focus turns to World Championships
CyclingSunday, 13 September 2026 at 21:38
Isaac del Toro has announced himself as Tadej Pogacar's potential heir to the World Championships, winning the GP de Montreal in a dramatic uphill sprint against Paul Seixas. After the Decathlon rider broke free from the front on the final lap, Del Toro bridged across to him and then had enough in a punchy finish.
A 215 kilometer race features 16 laps of a 13.5-kilometre circuit that immediately starts with the Cote Camilien-Houde climb kicking off each lap. The ascent is 1.7 kilometres at 7.9 percent average gradient and is followed by rolling terrain before a flat run-in to the line.
With Remco Evenepoel the favourite following his win at the GP de Quebec on Friday, other big names in the race include Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro, Tim Wellens and Quinn Simmons among others. Most contenders, however, have two weeks time on their minds as they scout out the circuit that will be used in the World Championships road race on September 27th.
After the first lap and multiple attacks, the day's early breakaway quickly established itself with around 190 kilometers to go as nine riders got up the road. The group included Michal Kwiatkowski, Casper Pedersen, Adne Holter, Ander Foldanger, Pelayo Sanchez, Robbe Dhondt, Jerome Guthier, Robin Carpenter and Kieran Haug.
Isaac del Toro is now the big favourite to win the World Championships
UAE, Red Bull and Decathlon pace peloton in opening laps
The race soon settled into a rhythm as the group gained a gap of around 2:00. UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Red Bull BORA Hansgrohe and Decathlon CMA CGM controlled at the front as Florian Vermeesch, Nico Denz and Stefan Bissiger keep the bunch ticking.
The attackers weren’t given much longer at the front of affairs, and just after halfway into the race, with eight laps to go, the peloton made the catch and the race reset for its second phase.
The pace remained high for the coming kilometres as the attacks restarted and riders dropped from the peloton. Juan Ayuso made a short attack before 4 riders managed to get ahead with 91 kilometres to go - Paul Lapeira, Derek Gee-West, Andrew August and Sean Quinn.
Those attacks were caught with 84 kilometres to go before Ayuso went again. This time, the Lidl-Trek man got away as EF Education-Easypost's Michael Leonard capitalised as they grew a gap of over 20 seconds with 68 kilometres to go and just five laps remaining.
Meanwhile, Isaac del Toro struggled at the back of the peloton as Visma | Lease a Bike and Red Bull policed affairs at the front as Max Schachmann bridged across to the duo out front.
Kelderman attack opens up race for Healy attack
With four laps to go, Wilco Kelderman broke away from the bunch - which was shrinking but being paced steadily by Red Bull - as the trio continued to linger at a gap of around 15 seconds. However, the move proved decisive and ultimately brought the bunch within striking range of the attackers.
Ben Healy attacked on the climb as the break came within range, bringing Adam Yates and Maxim van Gils with him to catch Kelderman and join the front. Leonard pulled hard to extend the gap from a peloton now consisting of only 30 to 40 riders.
EF drove that group of now seven riders as Leonard continued to throw the hammer down. Their gap expanded to almost 30 seconds as Tiesj Benoot came to the front to increase the pressure from the main group.
As they took on the climb again with less than 40 kilometers to go, Healy made a big move as he left the breakaway, with Ayuso and Kelderman in particular struggled to hold on. Back in the peloton, Tom Pidcock, Paul Seixas, Brandon McNulty all showed towards the front.
Over the top of the climb, Healy had just Maxim van Gils and Adam Yates for company with a gap of over 45 seconds on the bunch as Pidcock dug his heels to put the favourites group under huge pressure - reducing it to around 15 riders, with most of the favourites still in the fight.
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Healy makes selection with three laps to go
Lidl-Trek, Red Bull and UAE were best represented in the chase group as the race took on the rolling remains of the third last lap as many looked to be eying an attack as the attrition continued to build.
On the penultimate lap's climb, Healy would go alone as the true fireworks began behind and a definitive selection made. Quinn Simmons kicked it all off, but Brandon McNulty bridged across and countered leading to Paul Seixas, Giulio Ciccone, Isaac del Toro, Afonso Eulalio, Tom Pidcock and a caught Yates forming behind.
Remco Evenepoel notably missed the split, initially appearing to be blocked by a Lidl-Trek rider and gesturing angrily in the moment as a result. He broke away from the third group in pursuit with less than 20 kilometers to go and the race heading to its final lap finale.
The race was perfectly poised as they crossed the finish line as Evenepoel made the catch and a stubborn Healy remained over ten seconds ahead, putting in a remarkable performance to hold off eight strong chasers.
Seixas and Del Toro leave the rest behind on final lap
Healy hit the slopes of the Cote Camilien-Houde as Seixas did the work in chase with only Del Toro, Pidcock and Evenepoel able to hold on initially. But the speed soon went out behind as the favourites sized each-other up and Healy held his gap well.
But in a flash attack, Seixas put shot out of the group near the top as he caught Healy in style, going up and over the Irishman as only McNulty seemed close to following the pace. With 11 kilometers to go, and a descent and rolling terrain to go, it looked like Seixas was going to be alone at the front.
However, surging late over the top of the climb, it was del Toro who sensationally bridged across and went straight to the front as the pair tried to hold off the regrouped chasers behind. With 7 kilometers to go, the pair boasted a gap of almost 30 seconds as it became clear the two Tour de France podium rivals would renew hostilities.
Seixas put in some seismic pulls on the uphill drags to try and shake off the Mexican, but it seemed near certain that it would go down to an uphill sprint to the line. Behind, Simmons and McNulty broke away to chase for third.
Seixas led out the uphill sprint through the final bend before Isaac del Toro jumped from his wheel and across the road as Seixas tried to follow. But the Mexican UAE leader held off the French teenager to raise his hands.
The UAE rider now finds himself in pole position exactly two weeks out from the 2026 World Championships.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- UAE seem to own this race. Del Toro was oddly far back in the peloton several times, a case of patience and conserving effort. Ben Healey was fabulous in animating the race but I do wish he’d do it a lap or two later in order to make it to the finish. Ayuso still doesn’t make sense to me in how he races but heading into domestique role was a nice moment (something he rarely did at UAE). And Evenepoel? He had an anger moment and that derailed him somehow: the guy is fascinating how he goes apeshit sometimes, often only after the race has gotten away from him and he doesn’t have it in the legs anymore. In sum: congratulations del Toro, and he and Seixas are going to make for a very interesting race 2 weeks from now!RidesHills13-09-2026
- Who cares if Mas or Roglič or Gall or anyone else won this boring Vuelta. I see comments on this site, after Pogi crashed, went down at least 25%. Pogi haters and other fools on this site won't admit it. While they celebrated Pogi's crash and saying the Vuelta was "exciting again," the reality is that the second and third weeks of the Vuelta attracted far fewer viewers. David Bavin-HobbsIn on PRO CYCLING: "A cycling world that has been dominated for years by Pogačar and UAE Emirates-XRG—and in a world where people talk about the sport being “boring,” “monotonous,” and “unexciting”—the Slovenian’s withdrawal provided a very enlightening insight. For although Pogacar had the Vuelta firmly in his grasp, far more people were watching when he was in the race versus after his departure. The statistics website Procyclingstats shared a rather bizarre graph showing the sharp drop in visitor numbers since Pogacar was forced to withdraw. In recent years, there had always been an increase in unique visitors during the first and second weeks of the Vuelta. However, Pogacar’s withdrawal resulted in a 15 percent drop."PogiSloFans13-09-2026
- Praying for a Pidcock win, but I think the aero bullet has this in the bag.anonymouscyclist13-09-2026
- Don’t get drawn into it. This is exactly what Mou wants. It’s easy to spot his accounts from the moment he comments from a new username. I prefer discussing cycling with actual fans, that’s why we’re here after all.anonymouscyclist13-09-2026
- It's supposed to be a procession till the finishing circuit. Riders like Thibau Nys or Richard Carapaz won't wait for the final climb. There's Brennan to get rid of, then van Aert
Rafionain-Glas13-09-2026 - You have no idea? Just ask Mou.PogiSloFans13-09-2026
- The cyborg, being present in Canada to support his fiancée, is great news for the human race.
vannpelt13-09-2026 - True, but Pogi haters and other fools on this site won't admit it. While they celebrated Pogi's crash and saying the Vuelta was "exciting again," the reality is that the second and third weeks of the Vuelta attracted far fewer viewers. Pogacar’s withdrawal resulted in a 15 percent drop, because the race became boring. Who cares when second class riders are fighting for a second class win.PogiSloFans13-09-2026
- Tell your orange maga orangutan president to give you a better life. Capish?PogiSloFans13-09-2026
- Urška Žigart, who was third overall, crashed in the third stage, 27 km left, and abandoned the race. She has suffered another broken jaw, which likely also means the end of her season.PogiSloFans13-09-2026
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