"I was thinking of Pogacar, who will probably have to shorten his vacation" - How will Tadej Pogacar respond to Paul Seixas threat in 2027?
Cycling
When Tadej Pogacar sat down to watch Il Lombardia on Saturday, seeing his uAE Team Emirates -XRG teammates control the race for their leader as well as rainbow jersey, he could have been forgiven for things looking all too familiar. It didn't work out as planned but the manner of victory definitely looked similar to the Slovenian's textbook move.
Paul Seixas waited until the penultimate climb of the race to ramp up the pace and drop all the contenders from his wheel. While Brandon McNulty did salvage a fifth place for UAE, Isaac del Toro struggled after admitting pre-race that knee pain had been interrupting his training.
Still, no rider had an answer for the 20-year-old Frenchman as he went solo over the penultimate climb and powered to a first monument win of his burgeoning career, becoming the youngest winner of the Italian classic in the process.
For former Groupama FDJ boss, and mentor to now retired French legend Thibaut Pinot, Marc Madiot, Seixas's win is further confirmation that he's the next big thing in cycling.
"It's a continuation and confirmation of what we suspected, namely that he's an exceptionally precocious talent," Madiot told RMC Sport.
Paul Seixas crosses the line at Il Lombardia 2026
Madiot wonders what Pogacar would think
"He often scores in the heart of the penalty area, so it's a continuation, the validation of a first season at the highest level."
As Madiot watched Seixas throw his arms up in glory, capping off a season that included a fourth place at the Tour de France and Itzulia Basque Country victory, he couldn't help but wonder what Pogacar may be thinking.
Pogacar won the last five editions of the race but is sidelined due to injuries after his Vuelta a Espana crash. With his return confirmed for the 2027 season, Madiot wonders if he'll be back training with added motivation as a new rival continues to raise the stakes.
"I was thinking of Pogacar, who will probably have to shorten his vacation to prepare for next season, so that promises some great races," said Madiot.
Seixas attack looked similar to trademark Pogacar move
"I'm sure of one thing: he spent the afternoon in front of his television on his sofa, near Monaco. He must have been thinking, 'Oh dear, we'll be shortening the vacation rather than extending it.'"
Seixas made the difference in his favoured terrain, and the manner he squeezed rivals off his wheel reminded Madiot of Pogacar's ruthless in-the-saddle attacks that has seen him dominate cycling in recent seasons.
Read also
"To win, he didn't have much choice. If he came down to a sprint, we knew it would be quite complicated with the remaining contenders around him. But he put the others under pressure.
"As soon as he gained a five-meter lead, we knew it was over, so it's a bit reminiscent of Pogacar's strategy. You put them under pressure and then, as a last resort, you blow up the last remaining leaders."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- A shame to see him retire, I really liked him as a rider. His dignified tribute along with Matej Mohorovic to Gino Mader after his death was class and will always live in my memory. Enjoy your retirement.GregT11-10-2026
- A shame to see him retire, I really liked him as a rider. His dignified tribute along with Matej Mohorovic to Gino Mader after his death was class and will always live in my memory. Enjoy your retirement.GregT11-10-2026
- I thought Seixas had hit the end of the road from a fatigue standpoint, after the WC meltdown - and he still finished ok. This was impressive and an amazing return.mij11-10-2026
- totally, eating crow for breakfast this morning. after the world championships I thought we were looking at a late season fade from fatigue. way to go Paul!mij11-10-2026
- Well if UAE the best team in history comes knocking their the only team in the world who can get Seixas. Seixas will become unbeatable and incredible there. Lets see if he stays at decathlon or goes to UAE.miguel11-10-2026
- Pogi would have won the Vuelta at around 10 min. But it would have been boring for fools like you. Capish?PogiSloFans11-10-2026
- Rather than me describing the technology at length on here, If you google. Line-scan cameras. They are also sometimes called Slit-Scan cameras. Either search will fill you in. You can read all about how they. work. Enjoy! Just to be clear the cyclist is saying he wants to see exactly where the digital finish line is in relation to the actual physical finish. At this point we only have the word of the authority that the digital line corresponds to the exact starting edge of the physical finish line. That seems like a reasonable request to me.Prorodsandstuff11-10-2026
- 100% @Jumpyjohn, good point well raised.anonymouscyclist11-10-2026
- The media keep stirring the soup.. or spitting in it
leedorney11-10-2026 - Yes, he has won many races... second class races. He isn't the real deal... Seixas is the real deal. Capish?PogiSloFans11-10-2026
Loading
Write a comment