"I want to raise my arms as soon as possible": Paul Seixas targets first pro win after monk-like altitude camp

After a breakthrough 2025 season that saw him claim a bronze medal at the European Championships behind Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas is ready to take the next step. At just 19 years old, the French prodigy has established himself as the new leader of Decathlon CMA CGM Team, and he is approaching his second professional year with one clear objective: to get his first professional victory.

Seixas has spent the last few weeks in "exile" in southern Spain, engaged in a grueling altitude training block designed to fast-track his physical development. While his rivals rest or race in warmer climates, the junior time trial World Champion has been forging his condition in isolation, driven by the desire to land a killer blow as soon as the season begins.

The preparation has been anything but a holiday. A blizzard has recently paralyzed the ski resort where he is staying at 2,300 meters altitude, forcing Seixas to switch to indoor training.

"It’s not easy, and you don’t get the real sensations of the bike," Seixas admits regarding the indoor sessions forced by the storm outside. The mental challenge is just as tough as the physical one. "I haven't seen my parents or my girlfriend for two months. But we know why we do it: these are sacrifices made for performance," he told Eurosport.

That performance at the European Championships, where he shared the podium with two of the sport's biggest aliens, is obviously the biggest highlight of the teenager's career (for now). "Following those guys, even just once, gives you a lot of confidence," Seixas explains. "Being much younger than them, I tell myself that if I managed to follow them at the end of last season, it means that if I improve further, I can close that gap."

This confidence will be put to the test very soon. Seixas is set to pin on a race number at the Tour of the Algarve (February 18-22). Despite a startlist packed with elite talent (Almeida, Lipowitz, Ayuso...), the Frenchman is not going there just to learn.

"I will give everything to raise my arms as soon as possible, whether in Algarve or in Ardèche," he promises. When asked if winning is an obsession, he clarifies: "Not an obsession, but a very strong desire. I have confidence in myself, I feel I am progressing."

With his rapid rise, questions about a Grand Tour debut are inevitable. However, regarding a potential start at the Tour de France this summer, Seixas dismisses it. "It would be a dream, of course, but it is not my objective this year," he says, though he adds that he sets "no real limits" and "closes no doors."

He also joked about how his evolving status as a stage racer has shifted his focus away from the classics he once idolized. "When I was young... like one or two years ago, I loved the cobbled races," he laughs, acknowledging that while he likely won't be at Paris-Roubaix this year, he hopes to do so in the near future.