Updated April 15, 2026 07:13AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The biggest question in cycling right now isn\u2019t if Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a> wins Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge<\/a> for a fourth time, but whether 19-year-old Paul Seixas<\/a> can actually beat him.<\/p>\n Seixas Fever is hitting next-level overdrive with more than a week to go before their generational clash on April 26.<\/p>\n Tour de France boss Christian Prudhomme is already conjuring up his ideal scenario.<\/p>\n \u201cI dream of a sprint in Li\u00e8ge between Poga\u010dar and Paul for the victory,\u201d Prudhomme said on RMC<\/em><\/a>. \u201cAnd I think it is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n That dreamscape is no longer as far-fetched as it might have seemed at the start of 2026, and even the suggestion of a Pog-toppling reveals just how much Seixas is super-charging the peloton.<\/p>\n After coming close at Strade Bianche and winning Itzulia Basque Country, the unassuming French teenager is no longer a \u201cfuture star.\u201d<\/p>\n He is an immediate threat, not just to Poga\u010dar, but to everyone else in the elite men\u2019s peloton.<\/p>\n And if that wasn\u2019t enough, the debate about whether or not Seixas will race the Tour de France this summer is bubbling behind the scenes. Team sources told Velo<\/em> a decision will be made after Li\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n While many caution that he is still only 19 and that the lad needs some space, the bidding war for his future is going nuclear.<\/p>\n So much so, Eurosport Spain<\/em> <\/a>reported that French President Macron might be getting involved.<\/p>\n The future of France\u2019s first and best chance to win the yellow jersey since Bernard Hinault in 1985 is now a question of national security.<\/p>\n First up is Li\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n The so-called Doyenne of the monuments is Poga\u010dar\u2019s next race after a heartbreaking close call to Wout van Aert on the Roubaix velodrome.<\/p>\n The Slovenian isn\u2019t expected to race Amstel Gold Race or La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne, so the next big matchup is in the Ardennes.<\/p>\n Of course, Remco Evenepoel and a host of others will be there, but all eyes will be on Seixas.<\/p>\n The French phenom will arrive on a tidal wave of hype that has the French (and many others) believing that he can go toe-to-toe with the sport\u2019s dominant force.<\/p>\n Prudhomme \u2014 perhaps adding gas to the fire for the race owned by ASO \u2014 said he thinks Sexias can match Poga\u010dar on the race\u2019s most decisive climbs in the final hour of racing.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that, whatever the attacks, Paul Seixas will not be distanced in the Redoute or the Roche aux Faucons,\u201d Prudhomme said.<\/p>\n Poga\u010dar has used those short but sharp climbs as his favorite hunting ground, riding rivals off his wheel with long-range accelerations to assure the kill.<\/p>\n No one\u2019s been able to follow the past two editions, but Seixas might be the exception.<\/p>\n And if he does, Prudhomme might get that two-up sprint he\u2019s dreaming of.<\/p>\n The other burning question this month is whether Decathlon CMA CGM\u00a0will bring the French phenom to the Tour de France.<\/p>\n With how the Tour will be inevitably linked to his future, some pundits think, why wait? Given that he needs to learn the race and deal with the pressure eventually, Seixas should get it over with sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n And, with the way he\u2019s racing, he might even hit the podium in 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has a podium in his legs since there are only Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard above him currently,\u201d Maxime Monfort, sports director at Lidl-Trek, told RMC<\/em>. \u201cRemco Evenepoel has qualities, but on a climb of more than 10km, he cannot follow, while that favors Seixas.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s an interesting proposition because some rumors are already flying that a deal is done to leave Decathlon by the end of this season, despite having Seixas under contract through 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n One notion is that if he\u2019s already leaving the team, you might as well take him to the Tour and squeeze maximum publicity for sponsors.<\/p>\n The other side of the argument is that he\u2019s still too young, and he should go to the Vuelta instead, put three weeks into his legs, test his progression away from the Tour spotlight, and maybe even win the bloody thing.<\/p>\n One source told Velo<\/em> that Seixas is already calling the shots about his career, so the final decision could be in his hands alone.<\/p>\n Right now, the smart money is on Seixas starting the Tour.<\/p>\n Behind the scenes, the stakes are even higher.<\/p>\n Transfer rumors are taking a life of their own, and word around the paddock is that Seixas could leave Decathlon by the end of this season despite being under contract through 2027.<\/p>\n UAE Emirates-XRG is said to be leading the big-money chase for his signature. Some peg his market value near $8 million, a huge figure that would make him one of cycling\u2019s richest stars.<\/p>\n That amount is complicated by France\u2019s tax structure and social charges.<\/p>\n If Decathlon wins the Seixas sweepstakes and keeps him, a salary that big would balloon even higher due to what the team would also have to pay to cover the French contributions.<\/p>\n Belgian daily HLN<\/em> reported that the team was considering moving its headquarters to Switzerland as a way to skirt around some of the tax issues, something team brass has denied.<\/p>\n Seixas\u2019 future has grown so sensitive that French President Macron has reportedly taken an interest.<\/p>\nAll eyes on Ardennes<\/h2>\n
Tour or not?<\/h2>\n
![\"Seixas\"](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Z8D_1449-720x480.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Questions of money, taxes, Macron<\/h2>\n