Game on! It’s now confirmed: Paul Seixas will line up at the Tour de France this summer, capping a rapid rise that has quickly turned the 19-year-old into one of cycling’s most talked-about prospects.
There has been chatter about this for months, given his incredible rides of late. But the question kept returning to his age. 19? Is that too young to throw him into his first grand tour? And not just any Grand Tour (not that the Giro or Vuelta are a nice easy group ride) but his home one. The same one which has not had a French winner sine 1985. (Bernard Hinault, if you forgot.)
Riding for Decathlon CMA CGM, the French youngster earned his shot after a remarkable spring that included wins at Flèche Wallonne and the Tour of the Basque Country.
Until recently, everyone around him kept quiet about his Tour plans. But that uncertainty ended with a social media video in which he shared the news first with family, then publicly.
“I’m very happy to announce that I will participate,” Seixas said. “I’m not going just for experience — I want the best possible GC result.”
In a charming video posted on social media, Seixas is filmed at his grandparents’ place in Haute-Savoie. In the video, he says that’s where it all began–his love of cycling. He rode the roads in the region and slowly became a talented young rider. He tells his grand-mère that he will be racing in July. Watch the joy on these two when he announces he will be racing the biggest race in the world.
Now, will he be a force against Tadej Pogačar? We will see. Pogi did eventually drop him at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but it certainly took some doing. But does he have the durability to stay in the GC fight for three weeks? All it takes is one jour sans and you’re out of contention. Either way, this July is shaping up to be another incredible month of racing.
“J’ai quelque chose à vous annoncer…”
“I have something to tell you…”#DECATHLONCMACGMTEAM – @Decathlon @cmacgm @van_rysel pic.twitter.com/kcKzR4hBIo
— DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM (@decathloncmacgm) May 4, 2026