"Paul was, in my opinion, a little too isolated a little too early" - French disappointment as Seixas misses out at World Championships
CyclingTuesday, 29 September 2026 at 11:31
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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- Maybe better tactics after Bruno’s massive turn would have been to keep the remaining riders around Seixas to help him, rather than just letting them make their own short lived attacks.Lozza29-09-2026
- Urska recently proved that one bad crash can be followed by another, with injuries to exactly the same area. Pogi should not risk it.Hills3329-09-2026
- Unfortunately del Toro and Seixas spent too much time watching and marking out each other instead of other dangerous riders.Lozza29-09-2026
- RTV SLO: "Today, the Slovenian national team for the home European Cycling Championships will be announced. Tadej Pogačar may even be included on the list." Pogi wants to race, UAE don't want him to race. I personally agree with the UAE bosses, Pogi has nothing more to prove this year... but ... Pogi is feeling good. He doesn't need to be 100% and can still win. Maybe use the ECC as a preparation for Il Lombardia, the last Monument. The only thing that worries me is him crashing hard again. It could be a catastrophe. I just hope Pogi and his team make the right decision.PogiSloFans29-09-2026
- @abstractengineer said: "The difference between Del Toro and Pogi was never more evident at the WC in Montreal." I agree with him, we can't compare Pogi and Del Toro. But the fact is Del Toro didn't have a good team and was left by himself. On the other hand, the Belgians had the best team, but Remco and Wout also got nothing. ZERO!!! It was pathetic and sad watching both of them, Wout in front, Remco behind him, both struggling and out of breath. Why, I don't know, there is absolutely no excuse. I repeat myself "NO EXCUSE"!!! The Belgians were the biggest losers in Montreal.PogiSloFans29-09-2026
- Hey buddy! You're in no position to give me warnings... capish? As for politics in cycling, Quinn Simmons did it to himself in the 2020 controversy of his racism: A cycling journalist had criticized supporters of Donald Trump and asked them to unfollow her. Simmons replied “bye” with a waving-hand emoji using a Black skin tone. When another user asked whether he was a Trump supporter, Simmons replied that he was and always will be, accompanied by a U.S. flag emoji. The Black-hand emoji was interpreted as being racist or as an example of “digital blackface.” ... Trek-Segafredo (that's what they were called at that time) responded very strongly, saying his statements were “divisive, incendiary, and detrimental” to the team and suspended him from racing until further notice. The suspension was eventually lifted. Simmons subsequently went through diversity/inclusion education and media training. Trek described this as part of an ongoing effort. Hey, buddy, you got that now???PogiSloFans29-09-2026
- well one team did not lose control, largely due to mvdp and simmon’s strength. i wonder if in hindsight, mvdp might rethink his tactics. i wonder if he indeed would have been strong enough to stay with all the climbers if he had waited a bit longer….og29-09-2026
- commenters comment like well why didn’t they just bridge across, or cover brandon’s move…. i don’t think you know what it’s like to be that gassed at the end of such a brutally long slugfest…. and mcnulty was probably freshest and his one attack looked initially stronger than any of the recent prior attacks, imo.og29-09-2026
- Another young guy putting too much pressure on himself. At only 22 he has time in his favour.Lozza29-09-2026
- Demi's win in the Women's Race, for all the excitement, finished as per the script. This one was one of the few - Alison Jackson's win at PR also comes to mind - that gives hope to all domestiques and breakaway riders that one day, their turn will come and they will achieve their dream.Cooldude29-09-2026
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