"Do I set Paul Seixas the goal of winning the Tour de France? Of course I do, and I've told him" - CMA CGM boss wants teenager to reach for glory
Cycling
The hopes of France sit on the shoulders of Paul Seixas this weekend as the 19-year-old makes his Tour de France bow. As his lightening fast rise through the ranks in the sport continues, hopes and expectations have risen to a high-tide mark in recent weeks.
The Decathlon CMA CGM rider has made no secret that he aims to win the Tour de France some day, and has not hidden from the fact that he wants to compete in the general classification this time around.
With stellar results in both stage racing and one-day races in 2026, a team built around supporting him in his first grand tour, and the adoration of the French and wider cycling public, Seixas hopes he can compete with the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard for the yellow jersey.
Rodolphe Saadé, CEO of the CMA CGM group - co-sponsor of the team - has publicly expressed his adoration for the teenager as he opened up on his expectations for their main man this month.
Seixas has been told his goal is to win Tour de France
"He has incredible talent, he's impressive," Saadé said, recognising his enormous talent and potential.
With the Team Presentation this evening in Barcelona, Seixas will already know what one of his team's biggest stakeholders want to see from him in the future: a Tour triumph.
"Some people tell him, 'You'll win it in two years.' I say: why not try now? As a shareholder (of the Decathlon CMA CGM team), do I set Paul Seixas the goal of winning the Tour de France? Of course I do, and I've told him so. I've had the opportunity to see him on a few occasions."
He arrives to the Grand Depart not without incident after crashing on Stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes caused him to abandon the following day and interrupted his build-up. Seixas has relayed concerns about his shape.
Seixas declares all is well ahead of Tour
“Don’t worry, everything is fine, I’m really in great shape,” Seixas told L’Equipe, offering the reassurance French fans wanted before Saturday’s opening team time trial.
Seixas explainedhis fear after Auvergne: “I immediately saw that the wounds were superficial, I didn’t think any further than the crash,” he said. “Afterwards, though, I was more worried about my knee. But an MRI quickly reassured me, there was only a big oedema, nothing broken.”
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Seixas had expected the wounds to clear quickly, only for the recovery to drag into the following week and interrupt the rhythm of his Tour preparation.
“Even so, in the following days, when I saw my wounds, I thought it would take two or three days to clear up, but it took longer...” he continued. “It was complicated not being able to get back on the bike the following week. It was a small disappointment, I was a little scared at that point. There was treatment every day, it was a bit difficult to deal with.”
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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