"The idea in France is that he could be Pogacar's successor": French journalist sees no way Paul Seixas won't ride Tour

What do super talents have in common? One of the many things is that they make it seem as if they never fall out of shape. And if, just like us, you consider Paul Seixas one of these generational riders, then it's not hard to draw the conclusion that at the start of 2026 season, he picked up where he left off at the end of last year with a second overall at Volta ao Algarve, followed up by a dominant showcase of power at the Faun-Ardèche Classic where the 19-year-old won after a 40-kilometer solo.

The young Frenchman is already being compared to a five-time Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault by many French experts and fans alike for his apparent GC talent, however L'Équipe journalist Pierre Menjot points out to WielerFlits that the Decathlon CMA CGM starlet has many more assets in his arsenal:

"He's also incredibly strong in one-day races, as we saw last weekend [at Faun-Ardèche Classic] and also last season in the Il Lombardia. He has the mentality and the will to win in those races as well. He could do well in the future in races like Lombardia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. I won't say he'll win, because I'm very bad at predicting," he laughs.

The comparisons with the current number one of cycling peloton Tadej Pogacar, whom he'll face this Saturday at the Strade Bianche are easy to come by. The Slovenian is also one of the top-3 cyclists in cobbled races... does Menjot expect Seixas to go down this path as well at some point of his career? "I'm not keen on the cobbles at the moment, but he has done cyclocross [6th at the 2023 European Championships in junior category, ed.]. But you never know."

Regardless of where Seixas decides to focus his attention, Menjot believes the youngster is bound to succeed. Well, maybe except bunch sprints.

"Paul is super complete," says Menjot. "It seems like he can do anything. Or let me put it this way: I wouldn't dare say he can't do anything, except win a bunch sprint. Although he does have a strong finish. The idea in France is that he could be Pogacar's successor. Not necessarily in terms of his palmares, but certainly in his style of racing."

"That's the kind of guy that's happening in France right now. Or let me put it this way: Seixas isn't a normal rider. He's that kind of guy. He is one of a kind. Just like Pogacar, we think Seixas can win a wide range of races in the future. But we have to be careful. We can put Paul in the same category, but certainly not at the same level. Jan Christen also said it after the finish in the Ardèche: Seixas needs to be able to show this for a long time to come."

Another point of discussions for a while has been whether Paul Seixas should debut at the Tour de France already this summer. One argument was that the load might be too heavy for such a young rider; both in terms of expectations and difficulty, however the 19-year-old is quickly proving that there's hardly any reason for concern whether he's up to the challenge.

"Yet, I think it's the only option," agrees Menjot. "Earlier this week, we were able to write that he will definitely not ride the Giro d'Italia or the Vuelta a España, because he wants to compete in the World Championships in Canada. The only possibility he won't ride the Tour this year is if he's burned out after the Classics. Decathlon CMA CGM will only take him to the Tour if he's 100% ready."