Oliver Naesen reveals about his ultra-talented teammate: "There is a plan within the team to win the Tour in 2028"

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale had a great campaign in 2024, but with the arrival of new season, the attention has shifted to a different topic. Obviously, the arrival of mega talent such as Paul Seixas couldn't go unnoticed. Also within the team. Especially seeing how he can immediately perform against pros with already three podiums under his belt.

"There is a lot of talk about Paul within the team," admits Oliver Naesen in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. "Logically, when someone comes directly from the juniors, that is always a topic of conversation."

Naesen is yet to race with Seixas but met him during a training camp. "A super normal guy," he says. "He’s still in school, still lives with his parents. As it should be for an eighteen-year-old boy. No airs and graces, no flashy behavior. They basically picked him straight from school. The team also threw a bag of money at him, you know. But his environment doesn’t allow him to start thinking crazy things about himself."

Forty years will pass this year since last French rider won the Grande Boucle. Naturally, the young Seixas is one of the men who could break this fasting. "This is also being discussed within our team," Naesen confirms. "There is a plan within the team to win the Tour in 2028 and it all revolves around Paul. That was also expressed by our CEO and also by Paul."

"It all seems so natural to him. I also don't have the feeling that he is under pressure. You can see that in the Tour of the Alps. He is competing for the victories as if it is all normal, against guys who are preparing for the Giro. While he is still only eighteen years old. Crazy, huh! He is on track to build an incredible career."

Seixas will soon be going on his first altitude training camp with the Tour selection. Naesen hopes to really get to know his young teammate there. "I am glad that he is still going to school. That is good for his general education. Paul is a sensible guy. If I ride my first races with him, I might be able to teach him something about how to race. But who am I? Within the team they are aware that he is still only eighteen years old. They will do everything they can to protect him from the known pitfalls."