“Today is already a sign that I am in form” - Paul Seixas fires Liege warning to Pogacar & Evenepoel with dominant Mur de Huy showing at Fleche Wallonne
Cycling
Paul Seixas confirmed his arrival at the very top level of the Ardennes with a commanding victory on the Mur de Huy, winning La Flèche Wallonne 2026 in a performance that now places him firmly among the leading contenders ahead of Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
The 19-year-old Frenchman delivered the decisive acceleration in the closing metres of the final climb, pulling clear of his rivals to secure the biggest win of his career and underline his rapid rise through the sport.
Team plan executed to perfection
Riding for Decathlon CMA CGM Team, Seixas highlighted the importance of the collective effort behind his victory, with the race shaped early by a clear and controlled approach. “The plan was to set a strong pace today,” he explained afterwards. “That started right from the start when turning onto the local circuit. From that moment on, it was a real struggle.”
As the race intensified on the finishing circuits, Seixas was able to rely on his teammates to guide him through the chaos and deliver him into position for the finale. “I mainly had to stay on the wheel of my teammates. I really have to thank them, too, because they rode brilliantly.”
Perfect positioning before decisive Mur effort
After a race that had already taken its toll on the peloton through crashes and sustained pressure, positioning proved decisive heading into the final ascent of the Mur de Huy.
Seixas arrived at the base of the climb exactly where he needed to be, protected by his teammates and surrounded by the other key contenders. “I was brought into a good position for the final climb. This victory is really down to the team. I am very satisfied.”
From there, the race followed the familiar Flèche Wallonne pattern, with a reduced group climbing together before the decisive accelerations in the final sector.
From watching at home to winning on the Mur
The significance of the victory was not lost on Seixas, who reflected on how quickly his trajectory has changed. “This is an enormously important victory. Last year I was still watching on television, now I just won this race.”
On one of cycling’s most specialised finishes, the Frenchman proved he had both the composure and the explosive power required to deliver when it mattered most.
Liège now firmly in focus
Attention now quickly turns to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where Seixas will line up with renewed confidence following his performance on the Mur de Huy. “That’s going to be a great race, yes,” he said when asked about Sunday. “I will try to defend myself as best I can, but today is already a sign that I am in form.”
After a breakthrough performance in one of the Ardennes’ most demanding races, Seixas heads into the final Monument of the spring not just as an outsider, but as a rider who has already shown he can deliver at the very highest level.
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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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- They only raced each other during the 2026 Tour, but here's a few metrics to look at. Stage 3 (Granollers to Les Angles): Pogačar won the stage, finishing 2 seconds ahead of Vingegaard (2nd). Del Toro finished 24 seconds behind Stage 6 (Pau to Gavarnie-Gedre / Col du Tourmalet): Pogačar won solo, Vingegaard finished 2nd (losing 2:38), and Del Toro finished 3rd (at +2:57, finishing 19 seconds behind Vingegaard). Here, Jonas Vingegaard outclimbed Isaac del Toro by 19 seconds on the mountain stageawp13-11-2026
- your clinging to the past. Jonas was dropped by del toro many times last year and jonas never managed a climbing numers del toro did in dauphine last year -entire year. Trend is also evident theres no discussion your living in the past, its beent he same with jonas for many years now and only developing, meanwhile del toro is rising and developing greatly. This is all obvious stuff and im not even a del toro fan. No point discussing numbers or this i suspect you dont watch much now but rather think its 2022 still cause this aint hard.miguel13-11-2026
- We can go through metrics if you like, Del Toro, who I do admire and support, is not on the same level as Jonas just yet. You will see that in early 2027 if they have any crossover races. I do hope they both race the Giro. You are correct though, Jonas is getting older and will not be able to hand on much longer. I see 2027 as a good year for him. Obviously behind Tadej though.awp13-11-2026
- What wins? Are you LA operating under a pseudonym?mij13-11-2026
- My point is this - Tadej, Remco, Seixas are all the outliers. Many riders don’t hit their peak until 28. It’s way too early to write him off. And the pogi slo guy that hates him - he’s also immature. Ayuso needs time.mij13-11-2026
- Then you need to use ur eyes or head if you have cause del toro already dropped jonas two times and beat him in tdf stages already this year.. Del toro climbed(dauphine) better numbers than jonas did all year too. So ur feelings and wishful thinking doesnt amtter del toro himself has already surpassed jonas infact just facts. Its also very evident for anyone objective that Jonas is declining alot, its just the truth and super obvious.miguel13-11-2026
- None of those victories stand, so there's that,wrsty13-11-2026
- No surprise there; it is British Sycling, yes, with an S
Rafionain-Glas12-11-2026 - I like Del Toro but he's not on the level of Jonas, by a large margin.awp12-11-2026
- There are only two people who will be competing with Tadej in 2027 and neither are Remco.awp12-11-2026
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