“Put all your shit in your pocket and ride”: Del Toro wasn’t having his best day, but this motivation worked

Isaac Del Toro and Paul Seixas were the two strongest riders in the GP of Montreal, but what stands out is that both the Mexican winner and the young Frenchman acknowledged that their feelings were far from the best. With two weeks to go until the World Championship and on the same circuit where they will meet again on September 27, the result further reinforces their status as favorites.

Del Toro and Seixas gain confidence for the World Championship even without their best feelings

The GP of Montreal ended with a victory for Isaac Del Toro ahead of Paul Seixas, after both managed to break away from the rest of the favorites in the final laps. Brandon McNulty finished third, 27 seconds behind, and Remco Evenepoel, who won two days earlier in Quebec, finished fifth, 35 seconds behind.

Montreal was the major rehearsal for the World Championship that will take place in two weeks. The GP used the same circuit per lap that will serve as the basis for the world event, with its continuous climbs and the Côte Camillien-Houde as one of the key points to break the race.

RECOMENDADO

Evenepoel wins the GP Québec and sends a serious warning ahead of the World Championships

Isaac del Toro beats Seixas at the GP Montréal and Evenepoel falls short two weeks before the World Championships

Tobias Johannessen wins a spectacular final stage of La Vuelta at the Alhambra and Enric Mas is crowned in Granada

The dream becomes reality: Enric Mas claims the biggest win of his career and wins La Vuelta 2026

La Vuelta 2027 will start from Santiago de Compostela and will do so later than usual

Urška Žigart fractures her jaw again and will miss the World Championships

It was precisely there that the decisive move occurred. Seixas attacked about 12 kilometers from the finish and left the rest of the favorites behind. Del Toro paced his effort better, managed to catch up with the Frenchman near the top, and both collaborated to ensure they would contest the victory. However, neither finished particularly satisfied with the feelings they had during the day.

“To be honest, the feelings were not what I expected”, Del Toro acknowledged in a subsequent interview with Wilerflits. The Mexican explained that he had already had a tough day in Quebec and did not feel particularly well in Montreal either. “I didn’t feel too good on Sunday either,” he admitted.

The Mexican even went through some tough moments in the peloton, but UAE Team Emirates-XRG maintained their confidence in him. Del Toro graphically summarized the message he received from the team when doubts began to arise. “They told me to put all my crap in my back pocket and just ride my bike.”

It worked. UAE arrived with several riders to the decisive phase, McNulty finished third, and Del Toro ended up resolving the race against Seixas to add his twelfth victory of the season.

Seixas also did not have his best day and still broke the group of favorites

Paul Seixas's statements were similar. The Frenchman, at just 19 years old, stated that for much of the race he also did not find the feelings he expected.

“I hadn’t felt particularly good all day. I think I was too fresh. I didn’t ride enough yesterday,” he explained after finishing second.

That did not prevent him from probably making the most important acceleration of the race. With three UAE riders in the front group and Evenepoel coming back from behind, Seixas understood that he had to attack.

“Maybe I was missing a teammate to really make a difference, so I had to launch an attack, something that is not necessarily my strong point.”

The acceleration was enough to leave behind riders like Evenepoel and Tom Pidcock. Del Toro was the only one able to close the gap and catch up with the Frenchman.

Seixas tried again about four kilometers from the finish, but this time he could not shake off the Mexican. The two arrived together at the final climb, and Del Toro took advantage of a small lapse in attention from his rival to anticipate the sprint.

“I had a moment of inattention while trying to see how much margin we had. I couldn’t locate the 200-meter sign and, suddenly, he took off,” Seixas explained. “It surprised me, and he did very well. In the end, he was simply stronger.”

Two candidates for the rainbow who still hope to improve

That Del Toro and Seixas managed to leave the rest of the favorites behind without having their best feelings, but Seixas assured that his numbers were still improving even after the Tour de France.

“I felt that I had gained power since the Tour. I think there is still room for improvement.”

Del Toro was much more cautious when directly asked if his victory makes him one of the favorites for the World Championship. “I’m not going to say that I’m a favorite. This is still cycling.”

The Mexican recalled that in two weeks many things can change. An illness, a fall, or simply waking up without the best feelings can completely alter a World Championship. “We are human. Not every day can be incredible.”

The tactical situation will also be different. Del Toro had the collective strength of UAE Team Emirates-XRG in Montreal, while in the World Championship he will race with Mexico and will have to assume much more individual responsibility. “The World Championship is a completely different game,” he warned.

Del Toro has already shown in previous championships that he can perform without one of the strongest teams and trusts that he can create his own opportunities if he arrives with good legs.

Seixas will have a different context with France, but Montreal also leaves him with a positive conclusion. At 19 years old, he was able to launch the attack that ultimately selected the race, and only Del Toro managed to match his pace.

Two weeks remain, and as the Mexican himself insists, many things can change. But Montreal has left a reference that is hard to ignore. On a day when neither claimed to feel particularly good, Del Toro and Seixas finished first and second and managed to leave Evenepoel, Pidcock, Ciccone, and company behind.