"He's a junior, he's 19 years old" - Alberto Contador on whether Paul Seixas should race the Tour de France already

The growth of Paul Seixas has been, to say the least, astronomical in the cycling world. Over the past 12 months the French rider has not only developed incredibly on the bike but also off the bike; and is currently the rider who equals Tadej Pogacar in terms of exposure and attention in France. But should he race the Tour de France already? Alberto Contador weighs in.

"I think he's capable of participating. He'll be under pressure, yes, but the greatest pressure will be the one he puts on himself," Contador said in an interview with Eurosport Spain. 'El Pistolero' is a former winner of the race but in that era the idea of having riders of such age competing for a top result would be seen as ridiculous.

But in the modern peloton, riders are able to achieve their maximum potential much earlier on due to the professionalization of the youth ranks and the improvement of training and nutrition methods. It is not by chance that at only 19 years of age, Seixas is already in contention for monument wins and could do the same in a Grand Tour this year already.

"With riders of that caliber I've worked with, external factors ultimately don't matter much, and you're the one who's most demanding of yourself. I'm sure he's eager to make his Tour debut," Contador argues.

Meanwhile the French rider in a French team factor may just be too big to overlook. "A rider with so much talent who looks so good, what's he going to dream about? He's going to dream about winning the greatest race in the world."

It should be Seixas' personal ambition to, even if not fight for a podium at the Tour de France, to race it in order to gain experience for the future; Whilst Decathlon CMA CGM Team have the chance to be in the Tour's spotlight for the first time since Romain Bardet entering it, making it a valid business decision. Ultimately, it is the team's sponsors that finance the team, and every bit of exposure in the sport's biggest event is welcomed.

Contador believes the France factor could indeed lead to the Tour being decided. "Looking ahead to his debut, it might be more advantageous to go to the Vuelta first and have a little less stress. On the other hand, we have to consider that he's French, and in France they've been looking for someone for years who can win the Tour... and who excites them".

"The team also comes into play there. He has another year on his contract, and if he didn't, they would definitely take him to the Tour, thinking about whether they could take him away from the team without him racing it in their colours. I imagine the negotiations are about to be finalized with that contract."

Seixas' future is still in the open, and perhaps is the most battled contract in the entire sport at the moment. Aside from Decathlon; UAE Team Emirates - XRG, INEOS Grenadiers and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe are all said to be in contacts with the Frenchman's team - this, despite his contract only ending at the end of 2027.

"Personally, as a spectator, I'd love to see him on the Tour, but I would completely understand if both he and the team opted for the Vuelta a España. It's a particular situation with different interests".

Between the two one will be chosen, but it's difficult to argue that debuting at La Vuelta would remove any pressure from his eventual debut at the Tour de France. The Spaniard is ready for that to be the announcement.

”If he ends up going to the Tour, he shouldn't be expected to win; at most, he could be expected to reach the podium. In three-week races, he remains an unknown quantity, despite his great results so far. We have to see how he recovers in three weeks. He's not yet fully developed physically; he's a junior, he's 19 years old," the former pro warns however.