Del Toro embraces rivalry with Seixas: 'One day he will win, and another one maybe it’s myself'

Isaac del Toro believes there is plenty more to come from his rivalry with Paul Seixas in 2027 after the Mexican champion finished ahead of the Frenchman to claim the Tour de France EFGH Singapore Criterium on Sunday. 

The duo were part of a four-rider leading group at the exhibition event in Singapore on Sunday alongside Mauro Schmid and Søren Wærenskjold. 

Del Toro accelerated on the penultimate lap with 3.5km remaining, forcing Seixas to chase, but the Frenchman was unable to close the gap. Del Toro crossed the line first.

Speaking after the event, Del Toro was asked about their ongoing rivalry, with the Mexican champion suggesting that he expects their fortunes to continue alternating as they further establish themselves as two of the biggest stars in the sport. 

“Yeah, I mean, one day he [Seixas] will win, and another one maybe it’s myself. It’s part of life, so we enjoy these kinds of moments, and well, maybe it’s a tough life that we pick,” Del Toro said.

Del Toro also enjoyed wearing the white jersey again in Singapore, having won the youth classification on his Tour debut this summer en route to third overall. 

Seixas pushed the Mexican all the way at La Grande Boucle, finishing fourth, while making history as the youngest starter in 89 years. 

“It’s super nice to wear it [white jersey] again, and like a dream. I’m super happy and excited to wear it, and to show it on another continent, it’s super nice,” Del Toro said. 

The rivalry between Del Toro and Seixas wasn’t reserved exclusively for the Tour this summer, having blossomed throughout the entire campaign instead. 

The duo first traded blows this year at Strade Bianche, where Seixas got the upper hand on the final rise up Piazza del Campo to take second ahead of Del Toro, behind the Mexican’s teammate Tadej Pogačar, who stormed to another emphatic solo victory.

Things continued to go in the favour of the Frenchman in their next clash at Itzulia Basque Country, where Seixas won three stages and the GC, becoming the youngest winner in the event's history.

Del Toro, meanwhile, was unable to make an impression in the opening two stages before being forced to abandon after a crash on the third stage. 

The dynamics flipped upon Del Toro’s return to racing at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Seixas suffered a crash on the penultimate day, forcing a dramatic comeback for the entire stage, as Del Toro soloed to victory on the Grand Colombier. 

Seixas managed to start the following stage, but quickly stepped off the bike as Del Toro secured his third WorldTour GC victory of the season with an even more emphatic win on the Plateau de Solaison. 

After their summer duel at the Tour, the duo jetted off to Canada, where Del Toro romped to victory in a mano a mano sprint at the GP Montréal, in the final dress rehearsal for the Worlds. Both were active in the main event despite coming away without the rainbow jersey. 

Finally, Seixas had one last say, dominating Il Lombardia to become the youngest winner of the race of the falling leaves, while Del Toro fell out of contention after being hampered by a knee problem. 

Great champions often have eternal rivals, and at just 22 and 20 years of age, Del Toro and Seixas are already forging a riveting dynamic that could well define a generation.

There could be another significant opportunity for the duo to go head to head in 2027, with the Giro d’Italia within the realms of possibility for both. 

Del Toro could be a leading candidate for UAE who have signalled their intent to target all three Grand Tours in 2027. He finished second at the Giro on Grand Tour debut in 2025, falling out of the pink jersey on the penultimate stage.

Meanwhile, Seixas has left the door open for a potential Giro debut as he weighs up his ambitions for next season. 

For now, however, Del Toro’s immediate priority is a well-earned break, and he plans to return to Mexico before turning his attention towards building for next season.

“Honestly, I want to sleep right now. I am so tired,” Del Toro said.