Domestique Awards 2025: Breakthrough Rider Men - Del Toro, Brennan, Magnier or Seixas?

Today, you can vote in the Best Breakthrough Rider category, created to highlight riders who caught our attention in 2025 as they rose to the top of the cycling world.

We’ve seen many outstanding and commendable performances this year from riders who had not been in the spotlight before, so it wasn’t easy to select the four who made it onto our final list. To help you decide (and yes, it's going to be hard), we’re showcasing the nominees in this article.

You can cast your vote on X and Instagram.

Isaac del Toro had an incredible second professional season, even with a relatively calm start. After a solid but not particularly impressive first third of 2025, he arrived at the Giro d’Italia as UAE’s co-captain, continuously improving throughout the race, becoming captain in the second week and wearing the pink jersey for 11 days, which he lost only on the final mountain stage due to a tactical error.

This didn’t discourage him. He went on to win the Tour of Austria with ease and turned his attention to the autumn one-day races in Italy, where he performed exceptionally well, winning seven out of eleven. In between, he kept up with Tadej Pogačar at the World Championships and Il Lombardia with varying degrees of success. He showed significant improvement at every level, pointing toward future Grand Tour victories, while his results and influence are helping to revive cycling in Mexico.

It’s still quite unbelievable to think that Matthew Brennan completed his first professional season in 2025, having already participated in several pro races last year as a member of the development team. Nevertheless, this year can clearly be called a breakthrough, as he won 12 races, all but one of them .Pro or WorldTour category events.

Brennan showed his full range of skills this year, proving he’s part of a new generation of sprinters who are not only fast but also versatile. He claimed victory in a cobbled one-day classic at GP Denain, showed his strength at Paris–Roubaix, and took both punchy and flat sprints at the Volta a Catalunya. He even conquered a steep hilltop finish in Norway, performing consistently for Visma and finishing among the team’s top five points scorers this season. The sky is the limit for the young Briton.

Nineteen victories in one season, in just his second year as a professional, despite having only one win halfway through the year. The French sprinter from Soudal Quick-Step produced an incredible second half of the season, finishing just one victory behind Tadej Pogačar. Tim Merlier’s support likely played a major role in Magnier’s success. The veteran Belgian sprinter not only provided excellent lead-outs but also shared invaluable advice, helping Magnier unleash such power with his distinctive seated sprinting style that few could match.

Another key to his success was his race programme. Magnier competed in many .1-category stage races, where he was clearly the best sprinter. Still, the fact that he capitalised on nearly every opportunity makes this season special and worthy of his place on this list.

The 19-year-old Frenchman from Decathlon AG2R stands out among the nominees. He didn’t win any races in 2025, yet his results set several records, earning him a well-deserved spot on the list. With just 37 race days, he had a limited programme this year, but still managed to finish 8th on GC at the Critérium du Dauphiné, 13th at the World Championships in Rwanda after fighting for the top 10 for much of the race, won bronze at the European Championships on home soil, and placed 7th at Il Lombardia, leading AG2R as captain for the first time in his career.

Seixas’ success lies not only in his remarkable talent at such a young age (in the last 15 years, only Remco Evenepoel had a better season at 18, in 2019) but also in his ability to thrive under pressure. The weight of public expectation as France’s great hope seems only to make him stronger. He rides with all his heart, setting an example for young riders on how to pursue the sport. Next year, he’ll have the chance to do so on the Grand Tour stage.

Also have a look at the other categories of the Domestique Awards!

Most Entertaining Race Men
Most Entertaining Race Women
Most Entertaining Rider Men
Most Entertaining Rider Women