"I know he’s a huge talent – but it might be wiser to wait": Jonas Vingegaard advises Paul Seixas against diving into pressures of Tour de France

Jonas Vingegaard has offered a word of caution to France’s brightest young prospect, Paul Seixas, urging the 19-year-old to resist the temptation of making an early Tour de France debut. Speaking to RMC Sport, the double Tour champion said that while Seixas’s talent is undeniable, the unique pressures of the race could prove overwhelming for a rider still finding his feet in the professional ranks.

“For the double Tour winner (2022 and 2023), patience is key,” RMC Sport reported. “To be honest, if I were him, I would wait,” said Vingegaard. “As a Frenchman — probably the biggest talent in France — he’s going to face a lot of pressure if he goes to the Tour now. So maybe it would be better for him to wait a few years, until he’s really ready. I don’t know him personally, but I know he’s a huge talent, and in that case, it might be wiser to wait.”

Seixas has become one of the most talked-about figures in French cycling this season, and with good reason. The teenager’s performances have marked him out as a generational prospect: eighth overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné, winner of the Tour de l’Avenir — widely regarded as the “Tour de France for the under-23s” — and a bronze medallist at the European Championships, alongside a strong 13th-place finish at the Worlds.

Such results have thrust him into the national spotlight, with expectations already swelling around his future. In a recent appearance on Bistrot Vélo, Seixas admitted he intends to make his Grand Tour debut in 2026, and confessed that if he followed his heart, it would be at the Tour de France. Yet even he acknowledged the magnitude of such a decision. “Am I really ready for that?” he asked candidly on air — a question that Vingegaard’s comments now seem to answer with a firm “not yet.”

Vingegaard’s advice carries particular weight. The Dane knows the unique demands of the Grande Boucle better than most — the relentless pressure, the media glare, and the expectation that comes with carrying a nation’s hopes. His own rise from promising climber to Tour de France champion was carefully managed by Team Visma | Lease a Bike, a process built on patience and steady development rather than immediate exposure.

That same philosophy may prove crucial for Seixas, whose trajectory has already drawn comparisons to the early careers of riders like Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel. But unlike those prodigies, Seixas appears acutely aware of the dangers of moving too fast. His thoughtful approach, combined with guidance from figures such as Vingegaard, suggests that France’s long search for its next Tour winner may finally be bearing fruit — provided he’s given the time to grow before the weight of the yellow jersey settles on his shoulders.