"He is the best 18- and 19-year-old I have ever seen": Is Paul Seixas the main threat to Pogacar at Strade Bianche?
CyclingTuesday, 03 March 2026 at 09:42
The professional cycling peloton is getting younger every year, but 19-year-old French talent Paul Seixas is currently redefining what is possible for a teenage rider. Following a highly dominant performance at the Faun-Ardèche Classic, where he launched a successful 40-kilometer solo attack, Seixas has convinced experts that he might just be the most promising young rider the sport has ever seen.
"It is completely unbelievable with Seixas," said TV 2 Sport cycling expert Emil Axelgaard. "I think I wrote that there were no limits to my expectations for him this year, but the fact that he has become this good still exceeds those sky-high expectations. The route change did not make it easy to ride alone, but he just increased his lead the whole way. And yes, Seixas is a monster."
Seixas himself was slightly surprised by how the race developed, having originally anticipated a more tactical finale.
"I had incredibly good legs," the young Frenchman explained in post-race comments. "I found a pace on the climb that suited me, and I could constantly push again. We had expected three to five riders to sit on my wheel to cooperate afterwards, so I did not really believe in a solo breakaway – unless I had a truly, truly great day."
Surpassing Pogacar and Evenepoel
The cycling world has seen several young phenomena recently, with both Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel achieving major results very early in their careers. However, Axelgaard believes Seixas is on another level entirely.
"Absolutely unconditional – he is the best 18- and 19-year-old I have seen," the expert stated. "Already in 2025, he set completely new standards for what you can achieve at such a young age, and that is why I said before the season that there is no one above or beside him when we talk about talents. What he is delivering makes Evenepoel's and Pogacar's performances at that age pale in comparison."
Axelgaard noted that Seixas has taken massive steps forward over the winter, building on his strong results from last season.
"I am certainly amazed by what enormous steps he has taken over the winter – despite a third place at the European Championships and a seventh place in Lombardy last year," he said. "This year, he is beating the very best. He did that with Ayuso and Almeida on Fóia in the Algarve, where he was clearly the strongest man. This Saturday, he delivered a Pogacar-like ride in an incredibly strong field."
Seixas is the most exciting French talent in years
Grand Tour ambitions and the spring classics
With these performances, expectations for the rest of the season are growing rapidly. Axelgaard expects Seixas to be Pogacar's main challenger in upcoming classics like Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Furthermore, he anticipates a highly successful Tour de France debut this summer.
"With his suddenly brilliant time trial, I also expect a massive Tour debut this summer if he participates as expected," Axelgaard predicted. "And even though we do not know anything about his durability over three weeks, he could easily reach the podium on his first attempt."
Looking at the bigger picture, the Danish expert sees the Frenchman as the natural heir to the sport's current biggest star. "In the long term, I see him as the direct successor to Pogacar, although I am not sure he can expand his repertoire to include the flatter classics too, like the Slovenian can."
For now, the focus is on the Strade Bianche this coming Saturday. Axelgaard offered a clear warning to the current world champion: "Pogacar needs to be ready if he wants to drop him on Saturday in Strade."
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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