"I expect him to finish on the podium" - Teammate of Paul Seixas not only expecting Tour de France debut but also top result
Cycling
At only 19 years of age, Paul Seixas has perhaps already achieved more than what any other rider of his age has in the history of the sport. The Frenchman looks to have unlimited potential however and may make history if he makes his Tour de France debut later this summer - something which Oliver Naesen supports.
Oliver Naesen has been scheduled for a different calendar this year, putting the Giro d'Italia as his main focus now after the cobbled classics, where he will support Felix Gall in the fight for the pink jersey.
However, he keeps a close eye on his teammates and, particularly, Paul Seixas, who has been in the headlines for months now. His evolution has been staggering and his potential seemingly unlimited. It creates an incredibly important 'what if' that keeps fans wondering.
After skipping Amstel Gold Race, he might be starting La Flèche Wallonne this Wednesday as the main favourite, after winning three stages and the overall classification at the Itzulia Basque Country - showing a level that was even higher than what he showed back in February.
“I think Paul has a better chance in the Flèche Wallonne than in Liège. He has a chance of winning on Wednesday, and that is mind-boggling for someone of that age," Naesen said on the Het Nieuwsblad cycling podcast.
Decathlon should take Paul Seixas to the Tour de France
A lot of achievements are, but Seixas has done them. At age 18 he finished 8th at last year's Tour Auvergne - Rhône Alpes and won the Tour de l'Avenir; and then days after turning 19 he joined Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel on the podium of the European Championships.
This showed that he was not only a promise, but already a guarantee of a top rider. He looks to have taken yet another step already over the past half year, as shown in the Basque Country, but also after having finished second to Pogacar at Strade Bianche.
At Flèche Wallonne he may stand his ground; whilst at Liège-Bastogne-Liège the trio is set to clash once again, and with each rider most likely in or near their very best form.
“For that, I have too much respect for the über-champion that Pogacar is. Although I do remain of the opinion that Paul is the only one capable of following him," Naesen argues. Then the decision will be made on whether Seixas will race the Tour de France or not.
The answer seems to be a yes, however only not publicly confirmed yet. The Belgian veteran has no doubt that Decathlon CMA CGM Team should send the young Frenchman to the Grand Boucle for his debut.
"You can expect a lot from Paul. I expect him to finish on the podium, and I think he expects that himself as well. If I were the team boss, I would send him," 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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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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