Montreal, Canada: Isaac del Toro beat teenage rival Paul Seixas in a two-man sprint to win the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal on Sunday, two weeks out from the World Championships.
The 22-year-old Mexican continued his fine season, which has already seen him win Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and the UAE Tour, as well as finish third at the Tour de France.
With his UAE Emirates-XRG team-mate and reigning champion Tadej Pogacar out of the worlds due to a broken collarbone, Del Toro will be one of the favourites.
The worlds take place in Montreal and use much of the same circuit as the 214.4km GP, although the former is some 60km longer.
Both riders agreed that Del Toro's stronger team had made the difference, with three riders in the lead group at the end of the race.
"They just put me into the place to fight for the victory and I'm super glad to have these guys around me," said Del Toro.
"They support me so much that I just feel glad to be in this team with these guys and this is thanks to them."
Decathlon CMA CGM leader Seixas added: "In the end I was just missing a team-mate to launch me and really make the difference."
Seixas had launched the fireworks in the final 12km, attacking on the 1.8km-long Voie Camillien-Houde, which with its eight percent average gradient was the toughest climb on the circuit.
He quickly caught and surged past lone leader Ben Healy and distanced all his rivals.
Del Toro, though, counter-attacked and easily caught Seixas.
The young pair worked well together to ensure that they would contest the victory.
Seixas led into the final kilometre and when Del Toro launched his sprint for the line with 300m left, the French teenager seemed to be caught napping.
Del Toro's kick was simply too strong for Seixas.
His UAE team-mate Brandon McNulty, last year's winner, beat fellow American Quinn Simmons for third place with Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, who had won Friday's Quebec GP, winning the sprint for fifth.
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