Paul Seixas is a generational talent at, at the time being, already one of the world's very best in several aspects of professional cycling. The Frenchman has spoken about Tadej Pogacar as a role model for his performance; and a potential Giro d'Italia debut next May instead of the Tour de France.
The French rider, 20, has already made his Tour debut and finished in fourth place this summer. That was one of the many strong results he has taken in his second season as a professional, including a victory at Il Lombardia and second place positions behind Tadej Pogacar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Strade Bianche.
For those and other reasons, he is widely seen as France's 'saviour' for the three-week races. “I understand the question, but these things don’t bother me. Nor do they distract me from doing my job," Seixas said to Gazzetta dello Sport. "I’m simply happy to have embarked on this path".
But Seixas, who has been in several interviews recently, has pushed away the pressure that falls on his shoulders from a victory-hungry nation. He does not know yet where his future lies beyond 2027, and hasn't decided where he will race next year either.
“I don’t know where I’ll end up, nobody does, but 2026 has been excellent; I’m very pleased with it. And finishing the season at Il Lombardia was fantastic.”
Paul Seixas will continue to use the time trial as one of his greatest weapons
Tadej Pogacar the role model for Paul Seixas
This year he has already raced directly against Tadej Pogacar on several occasions, and is the riders Seixas is compared to the most. The Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider admits that he sees the former World Champion as the one whose footsteps he wants to follow.
“I’m not sure ‘idol’ is the right word, ‘role model’ might be better. That said, I know it’s not a very original answer, but I’d have to say Pogacar,” Seixas said.
“Not just because he’s the best, but because of his style, both in and out of competition. He’s on his way to becoming the greatest of all time. His presence pushes me, and everyone else, to improve. Maybe one day I’ll reach his level, maybe not, but either way, I’ll keep trying.”
The duo were set to go head-to-head at the World Championships and Il Lombardia this fall, but Pogacar's injuries at La Vuelta prevented this duel from taking place. In Pogacar's absence, Seixas won the final monument of the season.
Giro d'Italia a possibility for Paul Seixas
The Tour de France route was presented over a week ago and features 71 kilometers of time trial, with the discipline being key for the first time in many years at the Grand Boucle. Bronze medal at the time trial worlds this fall, Seixas assures that the discipline will remain a big focus for him.
“That’s my intention. I feel comfortable on a time-trial bike, and I want to keep working on it regardless," he confirms. "Not just because it’s essential if you hope to win a Grand Tour. I’ll stick with this approach, as it’s worked well so far.”
This Tuesday, the Giro d'Italia route will be announced, and he will keep a close eye on it. Seixas is aiming for the World Championships in Sallanches next year, taking place in his grandparents' hometown.
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This means that he will aim for the best possible preparation, and this might not include the Tour de France. The Corsa Rosa could, on paper, be an option for Seixas.
“Certainly.. At the moment, everything is possible regarding my race schedule for next season. I’ll discuss it with the team, and we’ll decide together what’s best,” he concluded.
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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- Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin is wuite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
- dude, Lemond never even was in the same race as Armstrong. He throws all these aspersions on other American riders who might usurp his throne as the greatest ever American racer. He doesn't say a single thing about (foreign) dopers who he actually raced against. Biggest douchebag move ever. I used to revere that guy, now I despise him. His actions are so weird.fatsupermodel02-11-2026
- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
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