"He'd better get used to it as quickly as possible" - Paul Seixas sent warning by former Tour de France stage winner after breakthrough season
Cycling
Paul Seixas has emerged as one of the biggest names in cycling after a remarkable breakthrough season. Finishing fourth place at the Tour de France and winning Il Lombardia, the Decathlon CMA CGM rider has the world at his feet.
As the Frenchman reflects on his 2026 season, the 20-year-old has some big choices ahead as he admitted that a Giro d'Italia bid is a possibility and he considers his long-term future - with his deal at the team expiring at the end of next season.
Seixas has since confirmed that he is considering all his options, including a proposal from his team. However, he also stressed that he is not rushing towards making a commitment just yet as he rests following a busy season.
As one of French cycling's biggest hopes for a Grand Tour win going forward, former Tour de France stage winner Pierre Rolland believes that he will have to get used to the hype around him - which also saw greats of the previous generation such as Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet become become the centre of attention among French fans in particular.
Paul Seixas
Seixas "better get used to it"
Looking back on the season, Rolland remembers the big moments fondly as Pogacar faced challenges in many key races from figures such as Seixas, Remco Evenepoel, Tom Pidcock, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.
"We had an incredible season, with some great moments in cycling, but often the best moments were when Pogacar was competing against other riders. It was almost never the same opponents," Rolland told Cyclism'Actu.
"He'll have to learn to live with it. He'd better get used to it as quickly as possible."
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Rolland enjoying retirement
Four years after retirement, Rolland has seen his focus turn to ultra-distance cycling events. In 2026 alone, he rode in Morocco , Brazil , Peru , and Corsica - with a 1,200km BikingMan event in Peru the highlight for the ex-pro.
"A lot of fun, a lot of emotions, a lot of sensations experienced over 1,200 kilometers, on terrain not suited to cycling," he said.
"It's not necessarily more or less intense, harder or easier. But the sensations you have with your machine, with your bike and the external elements are multiplied by the fact that it's much longer and much more difficult."
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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- 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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