"Paul was, in my opinion, a little too isolated a little too early" - French disappointment as Seixas misses out at World Championships
Cycling
Paul Seixas expressed his bitter disappointment at how the World Championshipsroad race panned out for France on Sunday, and that disappointment has been reflected by national team manager Thomas Voeckler as the dust settled in Montreal.
Despite France controlling the early stages of the race, attacks soon flew on the demanding circuit as the 20-year-old leader quickly found himself somewhat isolated among the favourites and contenders as the race evolved.
For Voeckler, he admitted his disappointment but knows that a rainbow jersey is never easily earned: "Me too, like Paul, it pisses me off... But if winning a World Championship were easy, everyone would know it. We were there, there were many of us, because we believed in it, and he was the first," said Voeckler after the race.
With Bruno Armirail setting the pace until just over 100 kilometres to go, the race soon got away from the team, leaving Seixas among Isaac del Toro and Remco Evenepoel as Mathieu van der Poel, Ben Healy and Tom Pidcock among others drove multiple attacks.
"So we did everything we could to try and be good, but that doesn't necessarily mean we'll be in the end. But if you don't give it your all to try, you're sure not to succeed. We did what we had to do.
"Especially with Bruno [Armirail], it wasn't overzealousness. We wanted to make the race harder, and then, it's true that it got a little out of our control because everything was incredibly intense. It's not for us today."
Paul Seixas in action at the 2026 Montreal World Championships
McNulty takes victory in Montreal
The hard pace eventually told for Seixas, who suffered cramp in the final lap and dropped out of the chasing group as Brandon McNulty flew to victory, while the rest missed out in a stalemate between the pre-race favourites in Canada.
"I had a little chat with a few guys at the finish. I have to admit that Paul was, in my opinion, a little too isolated a little too early. But that can happen. Yes, I would have liked him to have a little more support, but I'm not going to blame anyone. These are my decisions, you have to take responsibility for them.
"What's certain is that we made the race as hard as we wanted, and I maintain that it was in the best interest of Paul's profile, given the course. Brandon McNulty took magnificent advantage of the Belgian and French strategy.
Voeckler points to the French strategy earlier in the day making the finale more selective, protecting Seixas from a wider range of opportunist attacks. In defeat, he maintained that the team can put disappointment behind them.
France tactics helped make race more selective
"When you see Michael Matthews or Mathieu Van der Poel at the finish... If we hadn't made it harder and there had been four more laps of waiting, other punchers would have been there. It's obviously a huge disappointment, but my job is also to mitigate it.
"That's also what allows us to savor the times when things are better, the times when things have been good, and the times when things will be even better."
Read also
For France, there will be a tomorrow. Although Seixas won't be at the start of Sunday's European Championships road race in Slovenia, they can strike out for revenge in a climbing-heavy race.
He added: "When things are going well, everything isn't perfect, but when things aren't going well, everything isn't necessarily worthless. There will be another day tomorrow, but we are disappointed. It was possible.
"We are always more disappointed when we have a chance to succeed. And that was the case here."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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