New French super climber wins junior time-trial worlds: "Today a dream became a reality. It’s f*cking insane”

Paul Seixas, remember the name! Although he might not yet be known to all but the most ardent cycling fans, the 17-year-old has been hotly touted amongst those in the know as a rider with a big future. This Monday in Zurich, he proved again why, taking the victory in the junior time-trial.

"This is a bit of a surprise! My goal was to do the best time trial of my life, but becoming world champion is a fucking dream,” Seixas reflected in delight during his post-race interview, having edged out Belgian duo Jasper Schoofs and Matisse Van Kerckhove by just 6 and 7 seconds respectively. “I didn’t even dream about this when I came here. Well, maybe a little bit. But it was just a dream. Today it became a reality. It’s fucking insane.”

“At first I thought it would go less well in the final part. After five kilometres I was already suffering enormously," recaps Seixas, who will be riding for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team in the World Tour from 2025. "I thought: it's going to be long and tough. But the final was insane. I thought: maybe I'm doing something great. When I crossed the finish line, I realized that something really big was happening. It's unbelievable."

Seixas is also taking on the road race later in the week, giving him a second opportunity to take a Rainbow Jersey home from Switzerland. “Today was a surprise. The real big battle will follow on Thursday, but the World Championships are already good for me," he concludes. "The road race will be an extra.”