"If he feels it, we'll have to go with him": Decathlon boss leaves 2026 Tour debut up to the judgement of Paul Seixas

The French cycling fans will have multiple reasons to look forward to the 2026 Tour de France. One of them is the return of scenic Alpe d'Huez. Another the promise of a tight-knit GC battle until the final days. But most importantly, the hopes of once again having a serious GC contender with Paul Seixas is the fresh blood the home crowds needed. Although team boss of Decathlon calms the excitement, leaving it up to Seixas himself to decide his participation.

"It's an extremely demanding Tour de France course," Vincent Lavenu sounds very optimistic about the 2026 route while speaking to Cyclism'Actu at the route presentation.

The manager of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is in particular amazed by the penultimate stage that crosses Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier, Col de Sarenne to finish on Alpe d'Huez for a second day in the row, calling it a "stage record for elevation gain".

"I saw 5,600 m on the second stage that ends at Alpe d'Huez. The Tour de France knows how to offer very demanding and spectacular courses, and the spectacle benefits greatly from this," he praises the route architects.

Thus, the route seems quite straightforward. A lot of back and forth will be possible in the first two weeks with first two GC tests awaiting already at the end of the second week, but the race is to be played until the final day as anyone can blow up in the "mountain marathon" as the stage 20 has been dubbed by many.

And Lavenu seems to agree that many scenartios are possible. "Nothing is certain. We know that Pogacar lost two editions of the Tour de France to Vingegaard. Even though Pogacar dominated last year, I don't think Vingegaard or a third rider can easily challenge him. Nothing is certain, but the hierarchy remains clear."

And Lavenu's team can possibly aim quite high in the standings too. Of course they can play the card of Felix Gall, top-5 finisher from this year's editions of both Tour and Vuelta, but they have an even more intriguing card up their sleeve - Paul Seixas. The 19-year-old supertalent has already been one of the closest to Pogacar in his debut professional season and further growth is to be expected in 2026. Lavenu can rub hands at the bargain the team secured with the signing of Seixas.

"I've known him very well since the youth categories. I was the one who encouraged him to join us at the junior team level. He was obviously an exception, and since Hinault, I don't think we've seen a rider of this caliber. I think the whole future belongs to him and I hope he will be the future winner of the Tour de France that everyone has been waiting for for over 30 years. Paul has all the qualities for that."

Despite his immense talent, experts mostly advice the young promise to skip Tour in 2026 and perhaps try out the leader's role at another Grand Tour. But how does his team manager view the situation? "I think it's up to him to decide. He's a special, extraordinary boy. If he feels it, we'll have to go with him; if he doesn't, he shouldn't do it."