Can Seixas join elite club including Pogacar and Pinot? - Col du Grand Colombier list of winners and how he almost won on climb before
CyclingSaturday, 13 June 2026 at 10:53
Paul Seixas and Isaac Del Toro are among the two leading contenders to light up the iconic Col du Grand Colombier as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes finishes up the brutal climb for the first time. Saturday's stage seven features six categorised ascents and a gruelling finale but an opportunity for one to write their name in history.
While Luke Tuckwell holds the yellow jersey after a breakaway snatch and grab on stage 6, Seixas has expressed his desire to make the race hard on Saturday, seemingly setting the scene for a battle between the overall leaders on the legendary slopes.
Twice being used as a stage finish at the Tour de France, and a commonly used finale in the Tour de l'Ain, the beastly climb has a rich history and been the scene of several memorable battles either during a stage or for the win. Little may know that Seixas came close already to etching his name on the list of previous winners.
In 2023, Andrew August - now riding with Netcompany INEOS - took a victory in the Ain Bugey Valromey Tour at junior level. He beat none other than Seixas himself in a two-up sprint to the line as the Frenchman, then 16-years-old narrowly missed out on victory.
Seixas almost won on Grand Colombier as a junior
August and Seixas put considerable distance into the rest of the field in the race, with Seixas already displaying his immense potential as he kept pace with August, a year ahead of him in the juniors, to battle for the victory.
That same year, Michał Kwiatkowski raised his arms at the top of the climb, besting breakaway rivals to take a resounding win. Back in 2021, the Tour de l'Avenir took on the climb as Tobias Johannessen, second place on Friday's stage, took the win - beating now familiar names such as Filippo Zana, Thomas Gloag and Carlos Rodriguez in the under-23 race.
Tadej Pogacar won on Colombier on his way to his first Tour de France triumph back in 2020. Primoz Roglic, second in that 2020 Tour, also won on the iconic climb at that year's Tour de l'Ain.
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Other famous winners on its slopes include French hero Thibaut Pinot in 2011 and later 2019 while John Gadret, David Delrieu and Sergei Sukhoruchenkov.
Winners on Col du Grand Colombier
| AUGUST Andrew | 2023 | Ain Bugey Valromey Tour | Stage 5 |
| KWIATKOWSKI Michał | 2023 | Tour de France | Stage 13 |
| JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland | 2021 | Tour de l'Avenir | Stage 7 |
| POGAČAR Tadej | 2020 | Tour de France | Stage 15 |
| ROGLIČ Primož | 2020 | Tour de l'Ain | Stage 3 |
| PINOT Thibaut | 2019 | Tour de l'Ain | Stage 3 |
| PINOT Thibaut | 2011 | Tour de l'Ain - La Route du Progrès | Stage 4 |
| GADRET John | 2007 | Tour de l'Ain | Stage 3 |
| DELRIEU David | 2001 | Tour de l'Ain | Stage 5 |
| SUKHORUCHENKOV Sergei | 1980 | Tour de l'Avenir | Stage 11a |
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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- My username is a play on his. Perhaps, it's also time for me to move on from cycling news.
KerisVroom03-07-2026 - Can't blame him for hanging on. Those sweet, sweet $$$ are too enticing.KerisVroom03-07-2026
- What a slightly ignominious finish for a rider so dominant. He should've either seen the writing on the wall, or had someone in his inner circle with the guts to tell him - but then again, he was on a massive contract so who would turn down millions? At least he's finally acknowledged it. Leaving it hanging was deeply awkward and weird.antipodeanpedalfan03-07-2026
- Vino should use Horner's tactics: relocate to an obscure hotel at the last minute so doping controls can't find him to test. Then dope to the gills and go on to win the hardest mountain stage and the overall.Santiago03-07-2026
- Well knock me down with a feather!Lozza02-07-2026
- Go Pogi! ❤️Lozza02-07-2026
- I’ve always wondered if Chris Froome doped. He looked superhuman in some of his TdF races. But the new man on the throne is even better. The new Terminator !! I’m ready to be amazed at this year’s TdF again.
PogiFan2Day02-07-2026 - the king of mue'swhkman02-07-2026
- Horner is the greatest advisor no team wants to have.🤣abstractengineer02-07-2026
- If he suddenly becomes better after changing his coach, he will probably kick himself for not having changed teams in 2022abstractengineer02-07-2026
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