"Even a small step can completely change the results" - Can Paul Seixas take the Pogacar leap in 2027?
Cycling
Paul Seixas has taken part on the Singapore Criterium this Sunday, finishing second to Isaac del Toro. The exhibition race put him head to head against one of his major rivals on the road; but the Frenchman aims to take the next step in 2027 and become an 'all-elite' one.
"I like to be hard on myself. It helps me face challenges and keep moving forward... Once it’s done, I feel like that chapter is closed, and I can move on to something else," Seixas said in an interview with Marca. However, those are challenges set by himself.
"I don’t take on outside pressure. The pressure I place on myself is already high and demanding enough, so I don’t let external pressure affect me," he assures.
In 2026, he has taken up the Tour de France for the first time, excelling in his role and finishing in fourth place at age 19. This was followed by months of anticipation regarding which Grand Tour he'd first race on.
Amongst his triumphs are races such as Il Lombardia, La Flèche Wallonne and Itzulia Basque Country; but simultaneously, he has not hidden himself from the sport's very best, and often challenged Tadej Pogacar.
Paul Seixas
At Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège the Frenchman proved to be the best of the rest, whilst he has proven to be almost as versatile as the Slovenian.
He has learnt how difficult it is to win at the top level, even for a rider of such generational caliber such as him.
"Cycling is a sport where the goal is to win, but that isn’t always possible; that’s why you have to enjoy every victory—they are special moments."
Magical 2026 season
Seixas has had a massive leap in results and performances this year, from the very start to end of the year. He believes that the gap towards reaching the next level is not big, and that he might end up at a level similar to that of Tadej Pogacar.
"The jump in terms of results has been significant, but in terms of actual performance, the margins between a good climber and an elite-level one are very small. It’s not something you can see on television, but the overall standard is incredibly tight, and even a small step can completely change the results".
At age 20, one would typically imagine that Seixas would still have a steep developing curve ahead, but taking into consideration his current performances, that might not be the case.
"I don’t know how my body will respond or how much more I will develop; all I can do is train hard and see how things progress over time [...] I don’t know how my body will respond or how much more I’ll develop; all I can do is train hard and see how I progress over time".
World Championships the only set goal for 2027
Seixas has reiterated once again that neither Tour de France or Giro d'Italia are yet in his schedule for 2027 - Only the World Championships are.
"I still don’t know what I’ll be doing next year or what my race schedule will look like. Just because I rode the Tour this year doesn’t guarantee I’ll be there for the next one.
The World Championships are an absolute priority—they’re taking place very close to my home and where my family lives, so it’s a unique opportunity that I want to prepare for as thoroughly as possible", he explained.
The Tour de France, with 71 kilometers of time trialing, fewer mountain stages and race director Christian Prudhomme himself saying the race is well suited to the country's best card; should ultimately be Seixas' chosen path.
"Naturally, they’re going to try to design a route that makes it difficult for Pogacar to win again. Tadej is the best cyclist in the world, and perhaps the best in history," he said of his rival.
"The stages are demanding and different from last year’s, but at the end of the day, it’s the Tour de France—it’s always going to be tough".
Seixas raced with Isaac del Toro in Singapore, with the two finishing first and second. At the Tour de France, GP de Montréal and several other races this year, they have gone directly head to head, and could be an upcoming set of Tour winners.
"A great climber and a good guy," he said of the Mexican, admitting that they're "developing a great rivalry and putting on some epic battles out on the road".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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