"I tried to be stronger than usual, and in the end I exploded": Paul Seixas falls short of podium but completes remarkable Tour de France debut in fourth
CyclingSaturday, 25 July 2026 at 19:42
Paul Seixas saw his dream of a Tour de France podium slip away on the final mountain stage, but the 19-year-old still completed one of the most impressive debut Grand Tours in recent memory. After an aggressive bid to overhaul Isaac del Toro for third overall, the Decathlon CMA CGM Team leader eventually had to settle for fourth place.
Seixas gives everything in podium fight
Seixas started stage 20 looking capable of overturning the deficit to Del Toro. The French youngster appeared stronger on the slopes of the Col du Galibier, while the Mexican briefly looked vulnerable. However, the momentum shifted on the Col de Sarenne, where Del Toro regained control and eventually distanced Seixas for good.
Despite the disappointment, Seixas accepted that he had reached his limit after three demanding weeks. “I felt really good at the start and on the Galibier. Then, in the end, I cracked. That's cycling,” Seixas said in a post-race interview.
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The 19-year-old admitted missing out on the podium was painful but insisted he had no regrets about the team's aggressive approach.
“Obviously, I'm disappointed that I couldn't fight more for the podium. But fourth place... we'll have to be satisfied with that. There came a moment when I reached my limits and cracked. I tried to be stronger than usual, and in the end I exploded.”
Decathlon CMA CGM threw everything at Del Toro throughout the final mountain stage, knowing they had nothing to lose. “We had nothing to lose. We tried everything to make Del Toro crack. He was simply stronger today.”
Although the podium slipped away, Seixas knows he has to be proud of what he has accomplished. “In a few days, when I look back, it will definitely be something to be proud of. Missing the podium is disappointing, of course. My legs weren't good enough, and mentally I wasn't either. That's why I cracked afterwards. I'm proud of this Tour.”
Paul Seixas ahead of stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de France
A satisfied Decathlon manager
Team manager Dominique Serieys was full of praise for his young leader after what he described as a historic Tour for Decathlon CMA CGM. “We're very happy. It's extraordinary to finish fourth, along with all the stage results we've achieved. Paul didn't have any physical problems or any real collapse.”
Serieys also acknowledged the level of competition his team faced throughout the race. “We were up against incredibly strong teams and exceptional rivals. Congratulations to Pogacar, congratulations to Del Toro, and also to Nico Prodhomme, who has ridden a superb Tour de France. And above all, a huge thank you to the whole team.”
According to Serieys, the French squad's primary objective had never been the podium. Instead, it was just ensuring Seixas reached Paris and gained valuable Grand Tour experience. “The first priority was to bring Paul to Paris. He'll arrive there tonight by TGV and tomorrow he'll be on the Champs-Élysées. Mission accomplished.”
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Serieys believes the experience Seixas has accumulated at such a young age will prove invaluable for the future. “We're convinced that at 19 years old, he'll have gained experience that very few riders ever have at that age.”
While Jonas Vingegaard's withdrawal changed the dynamics of the general classification battle, Serieys insisted the team's original target had still been achieved.
“We set ourselves the goal of finishing in the top five. We shouldn't forget that some major rivals, including Jonas Vingegaard, abandoned the race. There was also Lipowitz, who was a very strong opponent. It wasn't easy to secure a top-five finish, but we've done it.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- Sad part is that the knuckle heads are allowed to breed. They should be taken to one side and neutered.
Andrew25-07-2026 - "He won two stages, including beating Tadej Pogacar on the Plateau de Solaison." This is true, but at the same time false. ;)MajorPayne25-07-2026
- "Evenepoel has shown once again that he is capable of winning the Tour de France" WTF?? Shown what? Capable of winning if Jonas and Tadej don't finish! OMG! We knew that before.MajorPayne25-07-2026
- He does have a habit of wanting to win stages on which he’s been beaten. There’s no Wout van Aert to stick with him on the third hard kick of Montmartre this time. Maybe Remco, Mads, Matthieu? Might be fun.RidesHills25-07-2026
- yeah, they estimate 10 to 12 million people line the roads during the race. odds are a couple knuckleheads will get into it. I've seen it at small high school events in the USA, so sadly this is no surprise. wish it wasn't so though.mij25-07-2026
- those crashes were terrible to watch, especially the second. gutted for Sepp. The way Carapaz was riding, it isn't certain that Sepp would have held on, but hate seeing it decided this way. Other than the TTT, what a cursed Tour for Visma. Really wanted to see more of a battle.mij25-07-2026
- Or maybe it's more likely that he was saving it for tomorrow. ;)MajorPayne25-07-2026
- But…Jonas wasn’t there. And now UAE has two riders on the podium, both the Yellow and White jerseys, and Pogacar helped his good friend. Pogi’s teammates love him for good reason: he enjoys helping them succeed as well.DAS25-07-2026
- Stoked for Carapaz. love the way he always goes for it and is willing to risk it all for the win.mij25-07-2026
- I don’t know where you got this from but I’d be interested coz just about EVERYTHING here I can show is total BS if you compare with what he said at the time.Jumpyjohn25-07-2026
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