Paul Seixas was having a light drink as he left Matteo Jorgenson 40km away after the Faun-Ardeche Classic last weekend. The 19-year-old Frenchman had just broken up a small group climbing the Col de Saint Romain de Lerps, forcing a pace that only Jorgenson could match, and as he was regrouping he took a drink and spotted the American flag. So he put his head down and walked out of sight again to the finish line. If Seixas’ riding didn’t compare clearly enough to that of frequent Jorgenson dispatcher Tadej Pogacar, the terrain made it inevitable. Seixas scaled the climb in 16:18, tying Pogacar’s record time for the climb at the 2025 European Championships. Not a bad way to get your second pro win.
Seixas’ talent is undeniable. He spent his brief junior career dominating his age group, setting the stage for the season with a spectacular neo-pro that made him the youngest rider to ever compete at WorldTour level. Seixas raised eyebrows in his first professional race with a huge performance at the GP Grand Prix La Marseillaise last February, and was poised for a big spring before crashing out at the UAE Tour. He recovered in time to make it onto the world stage at the Criterium du Dauphine in April after finishing 1-2 alongside teammate Nicolas Prodhomme and defying his team’s orders to take the win himself. In the most competitive edition of the traditional Tour de France tune-up in years, Seixas finished eighth.
This was not the most important result of the race. That meant Pogacar faltered in the time trial and then recovered to disembowel Jonas Vingegaard. But it was the most discussed result. Neither teenagers nor French men do such things, but here was Seixas. He tested himself against some of the best riders in the sport and gave it a nice pass. It would have been an even more exciting ride if Seixas had won the stage. But his talent was so obvious that it didn’t have to be that way. For cycling fans who have grown accustomed to Pogacar winning so often that he has come to personify the concept of the anticlimax from afar, the approach of a potential new challenger will always be welcome news. Pogacar is still competing in good, exciting races, but it is rare on his terrain that Seixas has shown such promise.
For French fans, Seixas’ arrival was greeted with messianic enthusiasm. They have been waiting for a French rider to win the Tour de France for over 40 years. Meanwhile, all kinds of competitors emerged. Thibaut Pinot! Richard Birenke! Romain Bardet!—no one has posed a serious threat for some time yet, and Jean-Christophe Peraud’s second place in 2014 is also universally acknowledged. Michelle Souris. The contradiction between the Tour de France’s enormous prestige within the sport and its home country’s long-standing disappointing performance has created tensions, with potentially great French hopes coming under enormous pressure in moments of exciting results. “We’ve already had a French junior world champion and here’s what comes after that. Tsk tsk… ,” The Decathlon of Seixas Spotif Director Julien Jurdie said this in a recent interview with the Athletic:
Yes. Even if the stakes are high, there will be hype. Tsk tsk-ing, Seixas is the first French rider to actually deserve it. After his big Dauphine result everyone was clamoring for him to join the Tour, but Decathlon were wise to let him stick to his original itinerary. The Tour de France is not suitable for children in their first season. This is true even for precocious children like Seisas. Riding against the world’s best every day for three weeks with the world’s eyes on you requires a whole different level of stamina and concentration. Seixas was a good climber last summer, but his body wasn’t ready for polish. Nevertheless, the French knew how great he was. Decathlon was constantly asked about Seixas during last year’s tour. My French colleague Joshua Robinson wall street journal did his thing How can you beat Tadej Pogacar? Last year he had to go to Decathlon and ask about Seixas. They defended the correct decision not to change Seixas’ racing schedule, suggesting he would probably race in 2026.
With everything that has happened since the 2025 Tour, it now seems more likely that Seixas will debut this year. He won two stages and the overall at the Tour de l’Avenir in August, was on the podium with Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel at the European Championships in October, and finished seventh at Il Lombardia, his first top 10 finish at the Monument in over 100 years. Became the youngest rider. Seixas has clearly had a strong winter. “I think I can improve in every way,” Seixas told the Athletic. “But there are a few points in particular. Let’s start with food. I was eating healthy, but I didn’t watch much. Now in training camp, I’ve been more focused on eating exactly what’s good for my body.”
In other words, he is embracing the holistic, monastic lifestyle of the world’s best riders. Seixas said he’s also building muscles, doing breathing exercises and doing more of the small, essential things for a rider of this caliber. He has his own press attaché, but in profile he comes across as someone completely confident in his talents and who welcomes pressure. “I’m never afraid,” he told the Athletic. “Because if you’re afraid, you’ve already lost.”
In the same story, his coaches casually say things like, “Everyone understands that if Paul has no problems, he will surely become a great champion cyclist.” I think that’s a great attitude toward carrying cycling’s heaviest loads. Especially if you are this good, why not own it?
As if you couldn’t already hear the echoes of Tadej Pogacar echoing through Seixas’ Faun-Ardeche victory, it’s worth noting that Seixas picked up his first professional win a few days ago in Portugal, steamrolling Juan Ayuso to qualify for Stage 2 of the Volta ao Algarve. Seixas won that stage at Alto da Fóia. This is the same climb that took Pogacar to his first professional win seven years ago.
