“The Tour de France is my biggest dream” – But Paul Seixas in no rush to end long wait for Bernard Hinault's Maillot Jaune successor

Paul Seixas may already be the name on every French fan’s lips, but the teenager himself is in no hurry to live up to the weight of national expectation and test himself against the best in the world at the Tour de France.

After a sensational first full season in the WorldTour, the 19-year-old says that while the Tour de France remains his ultimate ambition, he wants his path to the start line to be a deliberate one.

“The Tour de France is my biggest dream. It’s also the most important race for me, but you have to distinguish between dreams and reality,” Seixas told L’Équipe recently. “And the reality is that you have to keep your feet on the ground.”

Seixas’ rise in 2025 was meteoric. Still in his teens, he not only held his own against the WorldTour elite but became one of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team most consistent performers. He impressed throughout the spring with strong GC rides at Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie, then confirmed his class with bronze at the European Championships road race on home soil. His maturity — both on and off the bike — has quickly marked him out as France’s next potential Grand Tour leader.

Yet, even as expectations mount, Seixas is wary of skipping essential steps in his development. “When you put together a race programme, it has to be a smart and coherent one,” he said. “That’s why we haven’t yet decided about a possible Tour participation in 2026. We are thinking about a Grand Tour, but I don’t yet know which one I’ll ride.”

Team boss Dominique Serieys has hinted that the French outfit would like to see Seixas taste Tour de France intensity sooner rather than later. Speaking to RMC Sport, Serieys admitted he’d “like him to ride the Tour next year,” explaining that “if you don’t do it, you don’t gain the experience.”

Even so, Serieys is conscious that nurturing such a rare talent demands patience. “Paul still needs time to develop, so of course we’ll protect him,” he said. “But by taking part in the Tour, he would definitely make progress — as a person, but also in terms of power, endurance and technique.”

Not since Bernard Hinault’s 1985 triumph has France celebrated a home Tour winner, and every glimpse of brilliance from Seixas only fuels the dream that the next one may already be in sight. Yet what sets him apart from so many past “next big things” is precisely his refusal to rush.

For all the hype, Paul Seixas isn’t chasing yellow jerseys just yet — he’s making sure he’s ready when his time finally comes.