"Age is neither a barrier nor an excuse" - Paul Seixas explains Tour de France debut; to race Pogacar also at World Championships and Il Lombardia

Cycling fans can be delighted with the news that Decathlon CMA CGM Team have made official this morning. Not only is Paul Seixas racing the 2026 Tour de France, but he is also aiming high towards the World Championships and Il Lombardia, where he will continuously face off with Tadej Pogacar.

The decision to race the Grand Boucle was made last week and made public today. Decathlon CMA CGM Team had every reason to want their new French superstar at the start of the Tour, giving them ambitions they haven't had in almost a decade - since Romain Bardet finished on the podium of the Tour. Cycling has changed a lot since, but with the rise of Seixas, the pieces have finally fit on the French team's puzzle.

“We had planned to meet after the Ardennes classics to decide on the next steps for Paul Seixas’s schedule. We needed to take the time to thoroughly analyze all the data and also discuss things with Paul and his team," team chief executive Dominique Serieys said in a press release. Taking into consideration all he has done so far this year, and the potential that he carries, the Tour de France was the obvious choice. Seixas will be carrying monumental momentum into the summer after a spring where he nearly broke every barrier that was put in front of him.

"He’s had a remarkable start to the season and is already among the riders best riders . And the best riders are destined to compete in the biggest race on the calendar: the Tour de France. With great humility and a focus on learning, Paul will start in Barcelona with genuine ambitions to achieve the best possible result in the general classification.”

The 19-year old will be racing a Grand Tour for the first time, however that is not, in his point of view, a justification not to be ambitious. He is a quality stage-racer and everything points towards the ability to be able to race Grand Tours consistently - if not yet now, then in the future. For Seixas the obvious choice is chasing the GC, where a place on the podium and the white jersey are very logic and realistic goals.

“I’m truly thrilled to announce that I’ll be competing in Tour upcoming Tour France. It’s been my childhood dream, something I’ve often imagined, and now it’s just around the corner," Seixas added.

"I’m only 19 years old, but as I’ve said before, age is neither a barrier nor an excuse. This decision, made in consultation with the team management, was carefully considered and developed collectively over the past few days". He will now undergo the specific Tour preparation which includes an altitude camp at least in May, and in his case also the Tour Auverge - Rhône Alpes where he was 8th last year, but will perhaps be the main candidate this time around - whilst Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz should also be there.

"My results since the start of the season have given me a lot of confidence; I feel ready, and I’ll have ambitious goals. It is not in my nature, nor is it my conception of cycling, to compete in the Tour France with the sole aim of learning the ropes; I will be aiming for the best possible finish," the youngster confirms.

How high can he go? The sky is the limit for the Frenchman, who may be the best young talent in years, and is achieving results that no other rider of his age has in recent history. The development of modern cycling, with riders reaching their potential younger and younger, opens up possibilities for new barriers to be broken.

"Before that, I will also compete in the Tour in June, on roads I know very well and in a format that will serve as the ideal preparation for my first Grand Tour.”

Aside from the Tour Auverge - Rhônes Alpes and the Tour de France, Decathlon have announced the rest of his program for 2026. Some races might be added, but the overview of the main goals has been cleared. He will be racing the Canadian classics in September in preparation for the Montréal World Championships.

Following his performance at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, it is certain that with the same level Seixas can be a contender for the rainbow jersey and perhaps even Tadej Pogacar's biggest rival.

The Frenchman is not looking to avoid the rider who is turning into his biggest rival, and the two will clash one more time later in the season at Il Lombardia on the 10th of October.