Just one and a half years ago, Paul Seixas - only 17 years old at the time - was still competing exclusively in junior races in Europe. His talent was unmistakable from an early age. But in cycling, early success is no guarantee that you will make the leap to the top of the world later on. However, things seem to be different for the young Frenchman, who has been racing in the WorldTour since last season. Seixas immediately set an exclamation mark: strong results at the Tour of the Dauphiné, a convincing performance at the World Championships - and finally the big coup at the European Championships. Bronze, beaten only by Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel. Just a few days later, he confirmed his class with seventh place in the Tour of Lombardy. From that moment on, there was one question: could Paul Seixas reach this level again in 2026, or even go one step further?
Paul Seixas - dream start to the new season
The young talent celebrated the start of the season this year at the Volta ao Algarve, a five-day stage race in Portugal. In a duel with top stars such as João Almeida, Oscar Onley, Florian Lipowitz, Kévin Vauquelin, Matthew Riccitello and Juan Ayuso, Seixas impressively emphasised that he is already in impressive form early on in the season by finishing second overall. And at the Faun-Ardèche Classic, a challenging one-day race, Paul Seixas left no doubt about his ability: In a strong field, he rode to victory with a commanding lead of almost two minutes.
Test of strength with the alien Tadej Pogačar
It was not Pidcock, not Van Aert and not Vermeersch who stayed on the Slovenian's rear wheel during the decisive attack by the alien Tadej Pogačar on the white roads of Tuscany, but the debutant Paul Seixas. The youngster was still unable to hold on until the end of the attack. Yet. This performance should already be frightening for seasoned pros - knowing what is still to come. For spectators, on the other hand, it promises one thing above all: there could be someone coming up to challenge the dominator of recent years. Someone who can compete at Pogačar's level in a year or two and perhaps even win against the Slovenian.
And something else stands out. Paul Seixas can not only excel in one-day races, he is not a pure classics rider. On the other hand, he is also not a tour specialist like Jonas Vingegaard, who challenges Pogačar in the Grand Tours but has no chance in the classics. As with the great Tadej Pogačar, the most important aspect of the young talent's performance seems to be fun, alongside talent and hard training. A young rider who really enjoys cycling races of all kinds and gives it his all. It could be the recipe for success for the next big star.
Leon Weidner
Working student
