Twelve hours in the saddle and 8,000 metres of climbing – French prodigy Paul Seixas caps breakout season with monster Alpine ride
Cycling
While most riders are already switching off for the winter, France’s 19-year-old sensation Paul Seixas seems determined to keep pushing his limits. The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team starlet ended his 2025 campaign in the same relentless fashion that has defined his breakout year – by completing a brutal, twelve-hour solo ride through the French Alps.
According to his Strava data, Seixas covered 323 kilometres and more than 8,000 metres of elevation gain in a single day, burning close to 10,000 calories in the process. His route took him over a string of legendary mountain passes, including the Col des Saisies, Cormet de Roselend, Petit Saint-Bernard, Grand Saint-Bernard and the Col de la Forclaz – a collection of climbs that would make even the most seasoned Grand Tour contender wince.
A rider still hungry for more
It’s a typically audacious move from one of cycling’s most talked-about young talents. Seixas, who burst onto the professional scene this year, has quickly earned a reputation for his fearlessness, versatility and appetite for adventure. The teenager has impressed across a range of terrains and has drawn praise from figures including Jonas Vingegaard and Marc Madiot, who recently compared him to a young Bernard Hinault.
That level of hype might intimidate some riders, but Seixas appears to be thriving under the attention. His end-of-season Alpine marathon looks like both a celebration of a promising debut campaign and a sign of his hunger for continued improvement. It’s the kind of ride few professionals attempt outside of training camps, and yet Seixas completed it seemingly for the pure love of the sport.
Seixas took bronze at the European Championships
A glimpse of what’s to come
For Decathlon AG2R, Seixas represents one of the brightest lights in the next generation of French cycling – a rider capable of shaping the team’s long-term future. His combination of climbing ability, endurance and calm maturity has already drawn comparisons to some of the sport’s biggest names.
This latest exploit underlines that his rise is no accident. Rather than putting his feet up after a long season, Seixas opted for a route that would test his body and mind to the limit. Whether it was a symbolic end-of-year challenge or simply a reflection of his boundless energy, it perfectly encapsulates the mentality that has made him stand out.
If 2025 was his breakout year, then 2026 could be the one where Paul Seixas truly begins to shape the sport’s next era. And judging by his twelve-hour Alpine odyssey, he’ll be more than ready for it.
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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⛰️ Paul Seixas concluded season with monster Strava ride. ℹ️ strava.com/activities/161…
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