On Sunday, Singapore played host to some of cycling’s best riders as an exhibition race saw young guns Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas battle it out in another thrilling chapter of a burgeoning rivalry.
Sprinters have dominated the EFGH Singapore Criterium in the last few years, with the exception of 2022, when GC specialist Jonas Vingegaard won.
The likes of Jasper Philipsen, Mark Cavendish and Jonathan Milan previously raced around the street circuit of the city centre and came out victorious, bringing world-class cycling to the doorsteps of Southeast Asia.
However, a different battle ensued this year, one that showcased the future of cycling.
Seixas and Del Toro duel
Organised by the Tour de France, the Singapore Criterium pitted riders against each other over 25 laps of a 24.5-kilometre circuit.
And it did not matter that it was just an exhibition race – the true racers went all in.
The peloton rode aggressively right from the start, with multiple breakaways forming.
After the opening intermediate sprint, Baptiste Viestroffer of Lotto-Intermarché, Patrick Konrad of Lidl–Trek, home road champion Eamon Lim of CCACHE-BODYWRAP and Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen of Decathlon CMA CGM went clear for a few laps only to get pulled in by the peloton as they raced for more sprints.
Indeed, no breakaway stayed out long enough to gain an advantage until after the final sprint, when Seixas of Decathlon and Del Toro of UAE Team Emirates XRG accelerated along with Mauro Schmid of Jayco–AlUla and Søren Wærenskjold of Uno-X Mobility.
The chase behind them simply wasn’t able to bridge the gap.
Seixas then firmly seated himself onto Del Toro’s wheel, similar to what had transpired in a number of races this year, including in the Tour de France where they went head-to-head for the white jersey.
Del Toro ultimately attacked on the final lap, putting distance between himself and the rest of the group.
Although Seixas was always within sight, Del Toro proved to be the better of the two on Sunday and rode to his first victory in Singapore.
The French star finished second, while Wærenskjold surged to third.
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Young rivalry closes 2026 chapter
Del Toro has long been considered one of cycling’s rising stars, a position he said was a privilege during a post-race interview cited by The Straits Times.
“I’m in a pretty good spot,” he said.
“I feel proud to be the guy who is already fighting for these kinds of races. I’m just living the dream and trying to be the best as much as I can.”
He is frequently compared to Seixas, with whom he clashed in several races this year, such as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.
Their most notable duel, though, was at the Tour de France, where they asserted themselves as cycling’s newest stars – and potential rivals.
Del Toro acknowledged this burgeoning rivalry with Seixas.
“One day, he will win, and another one maybe it’s myself,” the Mexican stated.
“It’s part of life, so we enjoy these kinds of moments, and, well, it’s a tough life that we pick.”
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Stronger rider wins in Singapore
On the other hand, Seixas congratulated Del Toro for the win, describing him as a “really strong rider”.
“He was just too strong on the attack and I was close, but I didn’t catch up,” he explained.
Seixas had a grand start to his 2026 season after clinching victories at the Itzulia Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne.
Yet, he suffered heartbreak at the Tour de France, where he lost out on the podium and the white jersey, as well as the UCI World Championships in Canada.
Refusing to be dejected, the Frenchman tried again and became the youngest-ever winner of Il Lombardia.
“Today, I can show that this is possible and that you always have to believe in your dreams because sometimes they can come true,” Seixas admitted while reflecting on his year.
“I’m really happy that I have the luck to be here.”
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Year of the breakout star
Seixas and Del Toro were not the only young stars who made headlines this year.
Matthew Brennan announced himself as a Grand Tour contender after taking five stage wins on his La Vuelta debut in what many considered a sprint masterclass.
Twenty-year-old Slovenian Jakob Omrzel of Bahrain Victorious soloed to a stage victory at the same Vuelta to become the youngest Grand Tour stage winner since Celestino Prieto in the 1981 edition.
Jarno Widar of Lotto–Intermarché clinched his first professional win at Tre Valli Varesine, outpacing the likes of Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson, and secured the overall title at the Tour of Guangxi.
And Lorenzo Finn – one of Seixas’ rivals during his junior years – will move up to the World Tour in 2027 under Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe following a dominating year during which he won the Giro Next Gen, the Sibiu Tour, the Giro del Belvedere and the Tour de l’Avenir.
It’s still a long way to go before the 2027 season kicks off, and riders will be heading off to training camps before then, but there’s no doubt that the world is already witnessing the future of cycling at play, one race at a time.
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