"I raced with him, and it really affects me" - Paul Seixas on Finlay Tarling and cycling's increasing danger fears
Cycling
The passing of young British rider Finlay Tarling at this year's Volta a Portugal shocked the cycling world and its repercussions have been major. Paul Seixas, who raced against Tarling in the past, has shared his experience and insight into the safety issues that currently affect the sport.
Tarling passed away after being hit head-on by a vehicle during stage 8 of the Portuguese race, caused by a safety mishap from the organizers' side. Ever since, vehicle infiltrations during large events have been a constant in the cycling world, even televised in certain instances.
The peloton races under not only the pressure of competition, but also from outside intrusions within the event. “Honestly, it’s terrible, and the problem is, he’s not the only one,” Seixas said on the 'Clique' show.
The cycling world has lost several young riders in recent years under similar circumstances, a problem that has grown in recent years.
Paul Seixas raced Il Lombardia, in which there was a protest for the improvement of safety conditions in cycling
“What’s more, I raced with him, and it really affects me. It really affected me at the time, because what’s terrible is that we’ll say to ourselves: ‘That’s yet another cyclist this year who has lost his life in a race.’”
Seixas, 20, is only a professional rider for just under two years, but already competes with the risks that all others do.
“I think it really affected everyone, all the riders. You realize that sometimes there really are organizational issues. The organizers do their best – that’s not what we’re saying – but sometimes there should be stricter standards.".
Seixas took part in the Italian Autumn classics where this was again a major topic in discussion, with a level of severity that the Decathlon CMA CGM Team understands fully.
“We protested about this at Il Lombardia, at the start of the race for five minutes. What happened is extremely serious. Families are affected. It’s very serious that this should happen at a race. A professional organization, riders losing their lives – it’s frightening.”
Seixas takes into consideration high risks during descents
The 20-year old is known to be a brilliant descender, taking risks that few riders are willing to take on the technical descents - as often seen at the Itzulia Basque Country, as a prime example.
How does the Frenchman manage that? “Let’s just say that sometimes you get a bit stressed, but then you tell yourself it’s not a matter of life and death either".
“When you’re in a peloton, there’s a slight downhill slope and you’re travelling at 80 km/h, sometimes you do get a bit scared," he admits however.
"You think to yourself: ‘This could be serious’. But you mustn’t dwell on it – that’s the trick". Thus far, he's used it to great success.
But Seixas knows that he also relies on the other riders in the peloton not taking major risks, so that it does not affect him. “You know that everyone else is aware of it too, so they’re not going to do anything reckless either.”
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 think this will be a breakout year for Seixas. The course suits him, Tadej's C7 fracture is going to hurt him this year on the tt bike, I know they are talking about a different position for him right now. But his road bike racing will not be affected. If he comes healthy and doesn't crash, he wins. If he has a small issue with anything Paul might take advantage and take his first Tour. This is Remco's last chance to win a Tour but being honest he can't win it. The old guard is shifting but Tadej will remain for another few years.awp29-10-2026
- In my opinion, I'd like to give him a few races to get his 'legs'. This is the end of the season and an ideal time for him to get some valuable racing time for next year. Also, here's another rider coming back from devastating injury. Also, how much sprinting time will he get with Brennan as their main sprinter?Paggss29-10-2026
- Nah. Seixas for a Giro-Vuelta double. Kooij for the Tour
Rafionain-Glas29-10-2026 - it puts food on the table - I don’t see it as arrogant, but it is my opinion. and if that is his food budget, good for him. they are using his image to make money of which he is not profiting. whatever that is worth is money due to him, and if he wants to spend it on food, great. of course he isn’t. it is a play on words.mij29-10-2026
- Fantastic news!anonymouscyclist29-10-2026
- Why not 11 then?Rafionain-Glas29-10-2026
- Crikey... Zonneveld in charge of a team... never knew that was possible. You learn new things every dayRafionain-Glas29-10-2026
- Eccelente! Although cutd are a bit late to report on thisRafionain-Glas29-10-2026
- What he said!!Lozza29-10-2026
- If Tadej stays healthy, I don’t see the slightest chance of Remco winning the Tour. And then there are Jonas and Paul.MajorPayne29-10-2026
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