As Isaac del Toro breathes new life into Mexican cycling, Canadian race organisers in talks to launch WorldTour-level race in Mexico

The organisers behind Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal are in serious discussions about launching a new top-tier cycling event in Mexico, following in the wake of huge local support for emerging Mexican star Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG).

Sébastien Arsenault, who successfully runs the prestigious Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, confirmed to Wielerflits that he's actively exploring a joint venture to establish a UCI-level race south of the border: "I'm convinced that if I were involved in setting up such an event – and I say this with all due respect and humility – I'm convinced the UCI would support me."

The 21-year-old Del Toro has made huge waves in Mexico's cycling landscape. His historic second-place finish at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, where he became the first Mexican to wear the maglia rosa and podium at a Grand Tour, was a landmark moment. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly praised his achievement, calling him "a source of pride for Mexico".

His meteoric rise began with a victory at the 2023 Tour de l'Avenir, where he became the first-ever Mexican winner of the U23 stage race. His WorldTour debut at the 2024 Tour Down Under saw him claim a stage victory, cementing his status as a genuine star. This year, his wins at GP Industria & Artigianato, Giro della Toscana, and Coppa Sabatini have further fuelled enthusiasm at home.

This surge in Mexican cycling enthusiasm would offer a ripe opportunity for Arsenault's new race. Mexico currently lacks any UCI-level road races, with he last significant event, the Vuelta Mexico Telmex, concluding its UCI America Tour 2.2 run in 2015, leaving Mexican fans without top-level domestic racing.

Arsenault brings proven credentials to any Mexican venture. The Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, established in 2010, have become flagship one-day WorldTour events, consistently attracting cycling's biggest names – drawing Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling), amongst a host of other big names, to this year's race.

The potential Mexican race would face unique challenges, however. The country's national cycling federation has been suspended by the UCI since 2021 due to governance violations.

Professional cycling has long struggled with geographic concentration in Europe, limiting its global growth potential. This year's UCI World Championships in Rwanda is one example of a broad eagerness to expand cycling's footprint. In recent years, professional road racing has been in stark decline in the USA specifically, despite the success of a new generation of US riders.

For Arsenault, the Mexican opportunity is overt. His Canadian events prove that passionate local audiences can sustain WorldTour racing outside traditional European markets. Mexico's 130 million population and growing cycling culture present a vast new audience and potential for commercial growth.