“Stronger than Tadej Pogacar was at his age” – Thibaut Pinot waxes lyrical about teenage compatriot Paul Seixas
Cycling
For years, France has longed for a new homegrown rider capable of taking on cycling’s biggest stars. Now, according to Thibaut Pinot, they may already have one — and he could be even stronger than Tadej Pogacar was at the same age.
Pinot, one of the most popular and charismatic figures of his generation, has heaped praise on 19-year-old Paul Seixas, who has lit up his rookie World Tour season in the colours of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, and more recently in the colours of his nation at the World Championships in Kigali and the European Championships in his homeland.
“He might even be stronger than Tadej was at his age. I’ve been watching him for a while now,” Pinot told L'Équipe. “It’s true that in his first season, Tadej finished third at the Vuelta and won three stages, but he was also two years older than Seixas at the time. You almost get the feeling Paul is ahead of schedule.”
It’s a striking statement — not least because Pogacar is widely seen as one of the greatest riders of his generation, if not of all time. But Seixas has given the French public reasons to dream.
A breakout season that’s hard to ignore
Seixas burst onto the elite men's scene recently with bronze at the European Championships in Drôme-Ardèche, finishing behind only Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel. His dominant time trial win at the Tour de l’Avenir — where he also sealed overall victory — underlined not only his climbing ability but also a versatility rarely seen in riders so young.
At just 19, he’s shown maturity and race craft that belies his age, mixing it with established Grand Tour contenders across multiple terrains. What’s more, he’s done so in a season when Decathlon AG2R have undergone a major transformation, bolstered by the arrival of CMA CGM as co-sponsor and an ambitious transfer campaign designed to build a team capable of challenging the sport’s elite.
Seixas celebrates his European Championship bronze
A nation ready to believe again
For Pinot, who once carried the weight of French expectation on his own shoulders, Seixas represents a rare combination of talent and timing. “What Paul is doing is exceptional,” he said. “I think Decathlon AG2R will throw him straight into the deep end next year at the Tour.”
That likely means a debut at the Tour de France 2026, where Seixas would face the likes of Pogacar and Evenepoel on home roads. For many in France, the prospect of seeing a home-grown rider fighting for yellow is intoxicating.
Before that, the teenager faces another major test this Saturday at Il Lombardia, where he’ll again line up against Pogacar and Evenepoel once more, in the first monument of his career.
The “Race of the Falling Leaves” has often revealed who is ready to step into cycling’s top echelon. For Seixas, it’s another chance to show just why the sport — and now Pinot — are talking about him in the same breath as one of the greatest of all time.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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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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