Youth takes center stage on Canadian roads and great spectacle delivered by Isaac Del Toro and Paul Seixas in the Grand Prix Montreal, on the roads that will host the world showdown in two weeks' time. The two attacked during the final lap, creating a gap behind them: the Frenchman, who was the first to launch the offensive, tried to drop his rival on the final climb but failed, and in the final sprint, with the road climbing, he could do nothing against the Mexican champion, who crossed the finish line with a bow.

Behind them, third place for Brandon McNulty, winner a year ago, ahead of Quinn Simmons. Fifth Evenepoel, seventh Ciccone and twelfth Bettiol, who closed out the main protagonists of the race alongside Sadam Yates.

THE RACE. After some early skirmishing, nine riders manage to get away: Michal Kwiatkowski (Netcompany Ineos), Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step), Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility), Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla), Pelayo Sánchez (Movistar), Robbe Dhondt (Picnic PostNL), Robin Carpenter, Kieran Haug (Modern Adventure) and Jérôme Gauthier (Canada).

Their advantage grows to 3 minutes, but the peloton's chase begins very early thanks mainly to the work of Red Bull-hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek. With 105 km to go, the situation is already back together, and then the first attacks begin. Among the most active are also Juan Ayuso and Derek Gee for Lidl-Trek, who however struggle to bring along a small group, while contributing to an increasingly evident selection in the peloton. The Spaniard ultimately manages to take with him the local favorite Michael Leonard (EF Education-EasyPost) and gains about thirty seconds on the group.

The two are caught the next lap by Maximilian Schachmann (Soudal Quick-Step), and two laps later, about 50 km from the finish, also by Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Wilco Kelderman (Visma | Lease a Bike), Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe), in his role as a stopper, who attacked from the peloton on the fourth-to-last climb of Côte Camillien-Houde.

A crash then eliminates Gee and Thymen Arensman (Netcompany Ineos) among others, just before Healy attacks in his own style on the third-to-last climb of Camillien-Houde, putting Ayuso, Leonard and Schachmann in difficulty. At that point the big guns also move, with Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) opening the dance with an attack immediately shut down by all the favorites, but which reduces the group to about 25 riders.

The battle is postponed to the next lap, when up front Healy goes solo, while among the favorites Quinn Simmons attacks, bringing Brandon McNulty and Afonso Eulálio with him. UAE plays it smart, as McNulty relaunches and finds Yates, while Del Toro also moves just behind, reaching his two teammates in just a few pedal strokes. The Mexican is joined by Seixas and, with a bit more effort, Pidcock, a great Ciccone and Eulalio, while Evenepoel has a moment of weakness and can't react.

In pursuit of Healy, a group of 7 athletes forms, led by the UAE trio, with Yates and McNulty at Del Toro's service. Behind, Evenepoel responds with a delayed attack, launching on the Côte de Polytechnique with Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) on his wheel: the Belgian recovers almost 40 seconds on the group in just a few kilometers, not particularly harmonious in their cooperation with the other favorites, reaching them just as the final lap begins, at the sound of the bell.

A determined Healy approaches the final climb of Camillien-Houde with 20 seconds. Behind, they study each other for a few hundred meters, until Seixas delivers a devastating blow, shaking everyone off his wheel and going to catch and drop even the Irishman. Then Del Toro swoops down on him and it becomes a two-man race...

FINAL RESULTS

1. Del Toro Isaac (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in 05:13:16
2. Seixas Paul (Decathlon CMA CGM Team)
3. McNulty Brandon (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) + 27
4. Simmons Quinn (Lidl-Trek) + 30
5. Evenepoel Remco (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) + 35
6. Pidcock Tom (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) + 36
7. Ciccone Giulio (Lidl-Trek)
8. Healy Ben (EF Education-EasyPost)
9. Eulalio Afonso (Bahrain Victorious) + 39
10. Van Eetvelt Lennert (Lotto-Intermarché)
11. Baudin Alex (EF Education-EasyPost) + 42
12. Bettiol Alberto (XDS Astana Team) + 43
13. Yates Adam (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) + 55

to be updated