"If he goes and does nothing or abandons it could be a very hard blow" - Miguel Indurain warns Paul Seixas supporters against Tour de France expectations
Cycling
Miguel Induráin assesses modern cycling with the perspective of someone who dominated an era and knows the sport’s demands inside out. The Spaniard, a former multiple Tour de France winner, focuses on Tadej Pogacar’s current form, seeing him a step ahead of the rest of the peloton, and on the pressure building around Paul Seixas in France.
“He’s got that little extra over the others. Pogacar is in sparkling form and you also have to value the team around him. He’s very hard to beat,” Induráin said in an interview with AS, underlining both the Slovenian’s individual level and the importance of the block that supports him in the big races.
The five-time Tour winner also dwells on the pressure surrounding young prospects. Without naming names, he warns of the risk of placing outsized expectations on very young riders, especially in countries with a deep cycling tradition like France. “Others, at his age, had already gone. But nowadays… in France they’re very excited and we have to be careful, because if he goes and does nothing or abandons it could be a very hard blow. I think everything needs to be calmed down a bit. Cycling is very demanding for riders,” he reflects.
With the Frenchman recently finished second to Pogacar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège - as he also did at Strade Bianche - it shows a world-class level already that very few can match. There is a spark that has not been seen for years with a new contender entering the Tour de France, one that hasn't even ridden a Grand Tour as of yet.
Induráin also draws a comparison between generations, making it clear that each era has its own keys. “Everyone rides in the era they get. We also revamped cycling with nutrition, training, handlebars… but it’s true that now everything runs on data and is tightly controlled. Stages are shorter, faster, more explosive, and I prefer them over 200 kilometres,” he explains, hinting at a certain nostalgia for endurance-based racing.
The toughness of cycling
The Navarrese does not forget the sport’s inherent hardness, both physical and mental. “It’s a tough, dangerous profession, but I liked competing, riding the bike. I have very good memories, although I left a bit mentally and physically spent,” he admits about the end of his career.
His trajectory was as long as it was demanding. Induráin recalls his numbers matter-of-factly: “I started at 19 and in my last years I did almost 38,000 kilometres. I had no injuries and every year was intense, without a break,” a testament to the consistency that defined his career.
Now retired, his bond with the bike remains intact. “A week after retiring I was already back on the bike, and the only time I don’t go is in winter. But as soon as the weather turns a bit, I’m out. I like it and I go at my own pace to enjoy it. I don’t calculate what I do or anything, I just wear the heart-rate monitor and that’s it. It’s true that sometimes I get carried away and when I look later I think I should ease off a bit, but I’m fine. Happy. I really like the bike.”
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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Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughieRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del BelvedereRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
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