“We can almost communicate with the moon... but in the race that's difficult” – Radio chaos after Paul Seixas mechanical leaves Decathlon fuming at Tour de France
Cycling
Tiesj Benoot was left frustrated by radio problems after Paul Seixas suffered a badly timed mechanical during the finale of stage 2 at the 2026 Tour de France, just as UAE Team Emirates – XRG began forcing the selection on Montjuic.
Seixas had to change bikes before the first ascent of Montjuic, with the peloton already being stretched by UAE’s pace. The Frenchman eventually returned to the front group and limited the damage superbly, but speaking to Sporza after the finish, Benoot made clear Decathlon CMA CGM Team had been hit at almost the worst possible moment.
“I had really good legs today,” Benoot said. “Paul Seixas’ mechanical before the first ascent of Montjuic came at a very bad moment, because Team UAE were already going full gas by then.”
The Belgian was also unhappy with the communication issues that followed as the team tried to organise the chase from the road and the following car. “There was also a lot of confusion over the radio connection with our team car,” he explained. “We can almost communicate with the moon by radio, but apparently in the race that is still difficult... Anyway.”
Seixas forced into chase as UAE light up Montjuic
The timing of the incident turned a dangerous finale into an even more complicated one for Decathlon. Seixas was forced into a bike change just before the race hit the Barcelona circuit, where repeated climbs of Montjuic were expected to create the first real GC selection of the 2026 Tour.
UAE immediately made that section count. Brandon McNulty drove the pace for Tadej Pogacar, with Isaac del Toro and Adam Yates also part of a dominant UAE presence at the front. The bunch rapidly began to shrink, leaving Seixas and Decathlon trying to regain position while the stage was already being reshaped.
Seixas managed to get back in time, and Benoot then took responsibility on the final Montjuic climb. His turn on the front stretched the group and helped keep his leader in contention before the last run towards the Olympic Stadium.
“Still, we were able to move up again in time towards the final lap,” Benoot continued. “I put myself on the front on the final climb to set the pace for Paul, and I think he came through it well, knowing that he had to come back after his bike change.”
Paul Seixas on stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de France
Decathlon limit losses on chaotic Barcelona finale
Seixas’ recovery became one of the quieter saves of the day. While UAE went on to dominate the finish, with Del Toro winning ahead of Pogacar after the Slovenian allowed his teammate to cross first, the Decathlon leader avoided the kind of time loss that had briefly looked possible when his mechanical struck.
The final climb still caused damage elsewhere. Mathieu van der Poel lost contact on the last ascent, while several riders who had survived deep into the finale were unable to stay with the reduced favourites’ group once the pace lifted again.
Seixas finished safely enough to move up to sixth overall, 42 seconds behind yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard. Given the timing of the bike change, the radio confusion and UAE’s pressure on Montjuic, Decathlon came away with a strong GC position but clear frustration over how close the incident came to costing them far more.
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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