“It will be exciting to see if Seixas can respond to a Pogacar attack... I imagine he can” – Magnus Cort backs teenage sensation to match Tadej Pogacar in Liège
Cycling
As the spotlight intensifies on Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the conversation around who can challenge Tadej Pogacar continues to evolve. While much of the focus has centred on established names, Magnus Cort Nielsen believes the most compelling answer may lie with the sport’s youngest rising force.
Paul Seixas has already emerged as one of the standout performers of the 2026 season, and for Cort, the next step is clear. Can he go with Pogacar when it matters most?
A test defined by one move
Liège-Bastogne-Liège has often been shaped by a single decisive acceleration on the final climbs. In recent years, that moment has frequently belonged to Pogacar, whose long-range attacks have proven impossible to match.
Cort sees that same scenario playing out again, but with a twist. “Seixas has been riding really, really strongly, and I think it will be exciting to see him — whether he can respond to an attack like that (from Pogacar, ed.). I can actually imagine that he can,” he said in conversation with TV2.
That belief places Seixas in rare company. Not just as a contender, but as a rider capable of directly answering the defining move of the race.
Seixas enters the top tier
The suggestion that Seixas could follow Pogacar is not without foundation. His second place behind the Slovenian at Strade Bianche offered an early indication that he could operate at that level, while his dominant overall victory at the Itzulia Basque Country confirmed that ability across a full week of racing.
More recently, his win at Flèche Wallonne underlined his explosiveness on steep climbs, reinforcing the idea that he has both the form and the confidence to take on the biggest names in the sport.
That progression has quickly shifted expectations. Seixas is no longer viewed as an outsider, but as a genuine factor in how the race may unfold.
Paul Seixas crosses the line at La Fleche Wallonne 2026
A different voice in the debate
Cort’s optimism stands out in the broader conversation. In recent days, more cautious assessments have focused on the demands of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, particularly over its 260-kilometre distance and the repeated climbing efforts required late in the race.
Those doubts centre on whether Seixas can sustain his level deep into the final hour, especially against a rider like Pogacar who has repeatedly shown he can decide the race alone.
Cort, however, is looking at a more specific moment. Not the entire race, but the decisive move. And in that moment, he believes Seixas has the capacity to respond.
The defining question
That is what makes Sunday’s race so compelling. If Pogacar attacks, as expected, the race will once again hinge on who can follow. For years, the answer has often been no one.
Now, for the first time, there is a growing belief that Seixas might be different. Cort is among those willing to say it out loud.
Whether that belief holds over the decisive climbs of Liège-Bastogne-Liège will define not only the outcome of the race, but potentially the next chapter in Seixas’ rapid rise.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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