The historic feat Isaac del Toro can achieve if he wins the 2026 Montréal World Championships
CyclingMonday, 21 September 2026 at 06:00
Isaac del Toro has an opportunity that goes far beyond pulling on the rainbow jersey at the Montréal 2026 World Championships. The 22-year-old Mexican arrives as one of the marquee names and, after what happened at the recent GP de Montréal, even as one of the leading contenders for the title. If he can turn that status into a win, he will make history for Mexican cycling.
The target is to become the first Mexican rider ever to win the elite men’s road race world title.
Mexico knows what it means to have world champions in cycling, but all its titles so far have come on the track and in the women’s ranks. Nancy Contreras opened that path in 2001, and Yareli Acevedo lifted the country back to the top step in 2025. No Mexican man has yet worn the rainbow jersey in an elite road event.
Del Toro’s candidacy is not built solely on his season’s results. He has a particularly strong argument right now: he has just won on the very course that will host the Worlds.
The GP de Montréal 2026 served as a near dress rehearsal for the rainbow chase. The route matched the Worlds circuit, albeit over a slightly shorter distance, and gathered several of the riders tipped for the title. Del Toro prevailed in a finale where he outkicked Paul Seixas, with Brandon McNulty rounding out the podium. Remco Evenepoel, another major Worlds favourite, finished fifth.
The victory carried extra weight because of how it unfolded. Seixas was among the strongest in the decisive phase, but Del Toro neutralized his move on the final ascent and sealed the race in the run-in. The Mexican confirmed that Montréal’s circuit fits him perfectly and that, at least in this pre-Worlds reference, he could beat several of his chief rivals.
That is why his status has shifted. Del Toro will not start the showpiece merely as a candidate. He arrives as the rider who has just shown, on this same loop, that he can defeat a good share of the favorites.
That does not mean the GP de Montréal result dictates what will happen at the Worlds. The rainbow race will be longer and will also feature names like Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, who skipped the Canadian classic. The Dutchman, in fact, signaled his form with a win at the Tour de Luxembourg before the Worlds. But Del Toro’s win in Montréal has set a benchmark that cannot be ignored.
Isaac del Toro recons the 2026 World Championships course in Montreal
Mexico’s first male world champion
Del Toro’s potential milestone carries historic weight because Mexico already has two women’s world champions. Nancy Contreras was the first, taking gold in the 500 m time trial at the Antwerp Track Worlds in 2001. More than two decades later, Yareli Acevedo claimed the world title in the points race in Santiago de Chile in 2025, scoring 63 points. CONADE itself noted at the time that Acevedo returned Mexico to the top step 24 years after Contreras’s success.
The difference is that none of those victories came on the road or in the men’s category. That underlines the magnitude of what Del Toro could achieve.
If he wins on 27.09.2026, he will become the first Mexican man to be cycling world champion and the first rider from his country to take the elite men’s road race rainbow jersey. And he would do it at just 22 years of age.
That context also explains why a hypothetical victory in Montréal would have a huge impact on Mexican cycling. Del Toro is already one of the standout names of the sport’s new generation, but a Worlds title would further elevate both his palmarès and his stature at home.
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The other record in play at the Montréal Worlds
The men’s race also carries another precocity storyline we have already examined: the possibility of Paul Seixas setting a new youth record as elite world champion.
The Frenchman is 19 and arrives as a major contender after finishing second at the GP de Montréal. His ride in Canada confirmed he is ready to fight for the win against riders of the calibre of Del Toro and Evenepoel. Seixas himself admitted after that race that he had made tactical errors, but added that the experience would help him reach the Worlds better prepared.
Therefore, Montréal could end up delivering two very different historic records. Seixas would have the chance to etch his name into history for his precocity. Del Toro, for his part, could do so by opening a new chapter for Mexican men’s cycling.
And both start from a very recent reference that makes the Worlds even more intriguing: the GP de Montréal.
Del Toro is no longer a surprise
Del Toro’s progression also gives his candidacy a different context than a year ago. The Mexican can no longer be treated as a revelation who appears unexpectedly in a major race. His results and his ability to compete with the best have made his performances a regular part of the conversation around the biggest events.
In Montréal, he will also have a Mexican team whose performance will depend largely on how the race unfolds. The route suits riders who can handle the repeated obstacles and still keep enough punch for the decisive phase. That profile fits the Mexican, who has just proved it by winning on this very circuit.
The presence of Evenepoel, Seixas, Van Aert, Van der Poel, and the rest of the contenders rules out any talk of a World Championships decided in advance. But if there is one conclusion from the GP de Montréal, it is that Del Toro knows how to win on the terrain where the rainbow jersey will be decided.
Now he has the chance to turn that prior win into something far bigger.
Because if the Mexican crosses the line first on 27.09.2025, he will not only be taking the biggest victory of his career. He will become Mexico’s first elite men’s road world champion and the first man from his country to wear the rainbow jersey in an elite race.
At 22, Isaac del Toro would thus secure his own place among the great historical figures of Mexican cycling.
Mexico’s cycling world champions
| Cyclist | Event | Year and host | Category |
| Nancy Contreras | 500-metre time trial | 2001, Antwerp (Belgium) | Women’s Track |
| Yareli Acevedo | Points race | 2025, Santiago (Chile) | Women’s Track |
Jorge BorregueroWriter
Jorge Borreguero is a journalist with a degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a writer for Cyclinguptodate and Ciclismoaldia since early 2023. In this role, he has played a key part in the evolution of the website, particularly as a specialist covering Movistar Team. He regularly writes race reports, analytical pieces, and in-depth features about the team, and has conducted exclusive interviews and attended multiple team presentations, providing readers with firsthand insights into one of the leading professional cycling squads.
Throughout his career, Jorge has maintained a strong focus on sports journalism, gaining experience across a variety of disciplines, including basketball and football. However, his current work is almost entirely dedicated to cycling, contributing extensively to Ciclismoaldia and its sister website Cyclinguptodate. For these platforms, he combines thorough research with detailed reporting to deliver high-quality content, ranging from race previews and results to expert analysis of teams and riders.
Jorge’s reporting is marked by accuracy, depth, and a commitment to providing readers with reliable and authoritative information. His direct engagement with teams, athletes, and events ensures that his coverage reflects firsthand knowledge and professional insight. Through his work, he has established himself as a trusted voice in professional cycling journalism, bridging the gap between the sport and its global audience while maintaining rigorous editorial standards.
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