Decathlon boss plans tattoo tribute to 19-year-old Paul Seixas after breakout 2026 and standout Tour de France debut
Cycling
Paul Seixas began 2026 as one of the most exciting young riders in French cycling. Before the season is over, one of his biggest victories will already have been turned into a permanent part of Decathlon CMA CGM Team sports director Julien Jurdie’s personal history.
Jurdie plans to add a tattoo this winter commemorating Seixas’ victory at La Fleche Wallonne, continuing a tradition of marking the defining results of his career in the team car.
The design has not yet been settled, but Seixas’ place in the collection is guaranteed. His initials and the date of his breakthrough win will join the major victories, Monument results and Grand Tour achievements already recorded across Jurdie’s back.
“I try each year to get a tattoo reflecting the major moments of the season,” Jurdie told RMC Sport. “There is a panel on my back with the main victories or major podiums in Monuments or Grand Tours, with the initials of the rider who won the race and the date, all framed by a bicycle chain. Of course, the panel is not finished.”
Seixas’ win on the Mur de Huy would have been enough on its own to secure a place. His first Tour de France has since made it feel like the opening statement of a season that has transformed his standing within the sport.
Seixas turns breakthrough win into landmark season
At 19, Seixas has not approached his Tour debut as a three-week apprenticeship. He has remained prominent deep into the race, competed with established Grand Tour contenders and carried Decathlon’s hopes through the decisive stages. The physical demands, tactical pressure and accumulated fatigue of a first Tour have done little to slow the momentum created by his spring.
That has changed the meaning of the tattoo Jurdie is planning. It will officially mark one victory, but the image will also belong to the season in which Seixas moved from prodigious talent to a rider already capable of shaping major races.
“I’m going to think about it with my tattoo artist and see what is possible to represent this great victory,” Jurdie said. “And the season isn’t over, so I hope to add one or two more.”
That final remark carries particular relevance with Seixas still competing at the Tour. Decathlon have travelled through July with more than a promising debutant gaining experience. They have had one of the race’s youngest riders testing himself at the highest level while remaining involved in the most important battles.
The French team have spent years searching for a rider capable of building a sustained challenge around the Tour de France. Seixas’ development is still at an early stage, but his first appearance has already pushed the conversation far beyond distant potential.
Jurdie already imagines ultimate Tour tribute
Jurdie’s tattoos cover between 20 and 30 important moments from his life and career. Pierre Latour and Romain Bardet have already been included after bringing the white and polka-dot jerseys to Paris, while other major results are listed within the bicycle-chain frame on his back.
A Tour de France victory would require something more ambitious. “Winning the Tour de France would be something quite magical, but I no longer project myself that far because I know how difficult it is,” Jurdie said. “It is so difficult and complicated to have that yellow jersey on the Champs-Elysees that being able to win it one day would almost be the ultimate dream.”
He has nevertheless considered how such a victory might look in ink. “The yellow jersey? Maybe not,” he said. “But I think the podium with the Arc de Triomphe and the face of the rider standing on it would make quite a nice tattoo.”
No one at Decathlon is claiming that design will be required soon. Seixas’ debut has, however, given the idea a little more substance than it had before July.
The first tattoo will celebrate La Fleche Wallonne. By the time Jurdie sits down with his artist this winter, the victory will also stand as the result that launched a 2026 season Seixas has continued to elevate at the Tour de France.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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