Tour de France 2026: top contenders Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas

The 2026 Tour de France will begin on Saturday in Barcelona. Among the riders tipped as potential winners are Mexico’s 22‑year‑old Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates, who will serve as a lieutenant to defending champion Tadej Pogacar, and France’s 19‑year‑old Paul Seixas, the youngest starter since 1937. Other contenders mentioned include Italy’s Davide Piganzoli, Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, Britain’s Tom Pidcock, Australia’s Michael Storer, Ireland’s Ben Healy, the Netherlands’ Thymen Arensman and Belgium’s Cian Uijtdebroeks. The preview notes del Toro’s recent victories in the Tirreno‑Adriatico and Auvergne‑Rhone‑Alpes, Vingegaard’s eighth place in the previous Tour, and Seixas’s seven wins this season.