"I felt that I’m capable of more" - Paul Seixas is ready to attack rainbow jersey in Montréal
CyclingMonday, 14 September 2026 at 11:00
Paul Seixas was second at the GP de Montréal but has shown his best legs, having had the possibility to win the race outright, and also the possibility to conquer the World Championships on the very same roads within the space of two weeks.
“This is what I expected and what I’ve been working towards in the two weeks since the Tour de France. That’s very good news for me. Now I have another two weeks to work and make further progress," Seixas told Wielerflits.
Like Remco Evenepoel and most other main favourites, this Sunday's race was a testing site. The World Championships will take place in the same city and circuit, and so the riders could accurately gauge where they stand at this point of year, so close to what is one of the final major races of the year.
Over the five-hour long race, Seixas had different feelings. “To be honest, I didn't feel particularly good all day. think I was a bit too fresh. Maybe I didn't do enough over the last few days. I thought perhaps it wasn't the day for me to make a difference. But in the end, I was quite strong. I’m happy about that.”
Paul Seixas was second at the GP de Montréal
Room for improvement for Seixas
When UAE attacked the penultimate lap of the race, Seixas was ready to respond, and in fact was the only rider able to do so. That was an ominous sign already, and on the final ascent of Mount Royal, it was the Frenchman himself who attacked the group of three UAE riders, distancing all of them - before Isaac del Toro returned to his wheel at the top.
“That isn’t necessarily my greatest strength. My power lies more in making a difference over a sustained effort and then being able to accelerate again at the top. I spent too much energy trying to break away and couldn't kick again once I reached the summit.”
“I think there’s still room for improvement. At least, I hope so. Maybe I’m wrong. But I rode a great race on Sunday and hope to improve even further leading up to the championships. In any case, my form is very good right now.”
He knows now that Del Toro, whom he faced at the Tour de France, is also carrying his best form and will be a dangerous rival for the World Championships. Another one was Evenepoel: “We know Remco can pace his efforts perfectly and ultimately surprise everyone. He’s a truly great rider, a great champion. That’s why I tried to keep an eye on everyone.”
Seixas ultimately has to be an explosive rider to win in Montréal, as he will face most of the best climbers in the world, whom he may not be able to distance in such a short effort under regular conditions. “It’s a really good exercise for me to work on my punch. That’s what I’ll be focusing on leading up to the World Championships. What I need is a strong team. We have an ambitious squad that can force the issue and make the race tougher towards the end. I think this course suits me very well.”
Seixas keeps some cards up his sleeve
“I was making efforts all over the place, but tactically it wasn't always spot-on. That’s something I need to work on. I was here to make mistakes and see how things would play out. Of course, I’m also keeping a few things up my sleeve for the World Championships.”
The 19-year old believes that there is more he can do to win in a circuit such as this, and that his first GP de Montréal was a learning experience.
“Naturally, I don’t want to lay all my cards on the table before the World Championships. If you’d already played all your cards on Sunday, the competition would know what you’re planning to do. That’s why I want to keep a few things to myself. I felt that I’m capable of more. I think we’ll see that at the World Championships," 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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The factor of the no-Pogacar, is another point of note, no one wins with Pogacar around or it's close.. I think their should be a rule, if Pogacar's in a race then his results should be ignored
leedorney14-09-2026 - what a garbage takewrsty14-09-2026
- Pity Kuss couldn’t find back his past performance except for one or two good stages. Makes you wonder how he ever managed to win it even if you ignore the others on the podium were restrained.Jumpyjohn14-09-2026
- A bit of a whiner though. Attracts attention to himself and then complains people pay attention to him. You don’t usually achieve change by trying to force things through, and that’s when there’s more or less consensus it’s necessary or good. If you’re just doing it because it’s convenient for YOU or to go it alone against established ways, you’ve got no chance.Jumpyjohn14-09-2026
- Change the record.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- I'm sorry to see him go. We need people who shake things up or things never change. This reminds me of how the UCI treated Graeme Obree (google the name younngsters) back in the day.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- It is good news for cycling fans, but I doubt that the many peoples of the world that are put upon will even know about it.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- At least we saw a great race in Montreal, not like the boring Vuelta. Who cares if Mas or Roglič or Gall or anyone else won this boring race. I see comments on this site, after Pogi crashed, went down at least 25%. Pogi haters and other fools on this site won't admit it. While they celebrated Pogi's crash and saying the Vuelta was "exciting again," the reality is that the second and third weeks of the Vuelta attracted far fewer viewers. David Bavin-HobbsIn on PRO CYCLING: "A cycling world that has been dominated for years by Pogačar and UAE Emirates-XRG—and in a world where people talk about the sport being “boring,” “monotonous,” and “unexciting”—the Slovenian’s withdrawal provided a very enlightening insight. For although Pogacar had the Vuelta firmly in his grasp, far more people were watching when he was in the race versus after his departure. The statistics website Procyclingstats shared a rather bizarre graph showing the sharp drop in visitor numbers since Pogacar was forced to withdraw. In recent years, there had always been an increase in unique visitors during the first and second weeks of the Vuelta. However, Pogacar’s withdrawal resulted in a 15 percent drop."PogiSloFans14-09-2026
- Loved the kit Movistar put together, too, that has to be one of the best GT winning kits I’ve seen.anonymouscyclist14-09-2026
- Somehow Seixas went to sleep just as Del Toro launched his sprint. Seixas says he's still learning, and he won't make that mistake again. And Remco still beat Pidcock in the sprint for fifth after burning too many matches. Should be a great Worlds race indeed!Hills3314-09-2026
Loading
Write a comment