"A very difficult way to wear Pogacar down" - Analyst points out flaw in Paul Seixas attacks that will make it difficult to challenge Tadej Pogacar
Cycling
Paul Seixas may have blown the rest of the peloton off his wheel with his searing pace in the finale of Il Lombardia, but he should have a more difficult time doing so to Tadej Pogacar. That's according to analyst Thijs Zonneveld, who believes that Seixas has some way to go in his bid to catch up to the Slovenian.
The 20-year-old showed strong form in his first monument win, inviting comparisons to both Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The Decathlon rider capped off a stunning break-out season that saw him finish fourth place at the Tour de France and take multiple victories.
In an attack that shared similarities to Pogacar's seated attacks, Seixas's diesel effort slowly fought the rest off his wheel while Pogacar's initial attacks tend to offer a firm acceleration to distance himself from his rivals.
"He shows it on terrains where he is currently at his best: climbs of five to fifteen minutes," Zonneveld said in the podcast In de Waaier.
"He then doesn't launch an attack like Pogacar, who attacks with a million-billion-watts and then builds up at cruising speed. Seixas actually strangles them."
Paul Seixas and Tadej Pogacar
Seixas's impressive performance
What impressed Zonneveld was that he held an impressive power of over seven watts per kilogram during the Civiglio ascent. However, the high pace may be difficul;t to get separation from a rider like Pogacar.
"You basically thought: what are you going to do, Paul? But he hammered uphill at more than 7 watts per kilogram until no one was on his wheel anymore.
"That is, of course, a very difficult way to wear Pogacar down. Jonas Vingegaard faces that every year as well. Not having the explosiveness to respond to Pogacar's attack and not being able to make a difference with it. Then it becomes difficult to put Pogacar in trouble."
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Can he beat Tadej Pogacar?
Zonneveld still thinks that Seixas has some way to go before he can challenge Pogacar at full tilt at the Tour de France, pointing to long climbs as well as Pogacar's cruise control final week while Seixas struggled.
"We have never seen anything special from him there, apart from someone who is very good at twenty. It is just not yet at the level of Vingegaard and Pogacar. But then again, he is immediately world-class. A phenomenon we are watching.
"The French see a new phenomenon. Someone who can offer competition to Pogacar. He is the designated rider to really put up a fight, but then again, on the other hand: in the Tour de France, it was still a gaping hole. Pogacar completed the final week effortlessly and was dropped on every mountain stage. Give that boy a few more years..."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
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- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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