"Personally, I might not have let him ride the Tour at only 19" - Lefevere wouldn't have brought Seixas to Tour de France despite impressive showing
Cycling
Paul Seixas may have impressed Patrick Lefevere at the 2026 Tour de France as he rode to a fourth place overall and held his own against the world's best, but the former Soudal-QuickStep boss still admits he wouldn't have brought him to the race.
At 19-year-old, the Frenchman made his debut at the race after Decathlon opted to bring him to La Grand Boucle amid a media frenzy following his sensational start to the 2026 season.
Seixas took wins at Faun Ardeche Classic, Volta ao Algarve and podiums at Strade Bianche and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, but it was a dominant general classification victory at Itzulia Basque Country and La Fleche Wallone that meant his stock went through the roof.
Seixas rode a remarkable race as he settled into the role of podium contender, battling Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel on high mountains and taking a fourth place overall.
However, Lefevere warned that other steps in his development must not be skipped and that there is no rush in helping him reach his potential.
Paul Seixas ends the Tour de France in fourth place
Lefevere would not have brought Seixas to Tour
"I'm very impressed. But personally, I might not have let him ride the Tour at only 19," Lefevere told Cyclism'Actu.
"We saw that he started to falter towards the end, which is perfectly normal. He'll be a great rider, but we mustn't rush things. We mustn't skip any steps."
Asked if the Tour was a success, Lefevere noted his difficulties in the final stages but ultimately concluded that the Frenchman enjoyed a strong debut.
He said: "For me, yes. Finishing fourth in the Tour de France at 19 is exceptional. He suffered in the final days, but he had a very good Tour."
He wondered if Isaac del Toro's Tour would have finished different if not for teammate Tadej Pogacar's assistance. After a white jersey and third place finish, del Toro has now finished on the podium of two grand tours.
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Lefevere on del Toro and Evenepoel
Lefevere said: "I think so. But we mustn't forget that Tadej helped his teammate enormously. Without him, Del Toro probably would never have made it onto the podium and he likely wouldn't have won his first stage."
His former rider Remco Evenepoel put in one of his career-best performances, effectively ending any debate on whether he can be deemed a general classification contender at a grand tour. Lefevere insisted that a Tour de France win is not out of his reach, especially given his relative youth compared to Pogacar.
He added: "I must admit that I wasn't entirely convinced he was a rider capable of competing for the overall classification over three weeks. But he proved us wrong. Tadej is human, despite everything. Remco is two years younger; he needs to keep progressing and persevering."
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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- 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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