"We don’t want to break the positive momentum": Decathlon need to carefully choose the next steps of Paul Seixas

Paul Seixas is bound to attract the attention of French cycling fans for years to come. The promising 19-year-old climber took his first steps in WorldTour this year with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, proving his immense potential right away. And as is always the case, public would love to see their new poster boy in action at the grand stage - the Tour de France - as soon as possible.

After an outstanding 2nd year in the junior category, it was clear that Paul Seixas had a tremendous talent. However his performances in the first season among pros far surpassed most predicitions. After a slower start of the season, Seixas reminded everyone of his incredible qualities with an 8th overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Later in the season, Seixas was able to win the "little Tour", the Tour de l'Avenir, before shifting his focus towards the World Championships in Rwanda where he started as the youngest rider in elite category. And finished 13th against seasoned pros.

The final push in 2025 was outstanding from Seixas who, only a week later, arrived third at the European Championships in Ardeche, losing only to the best cyclists in the world; Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel. The last race of the year for Seixas - 7th at Il Lombardia - only underlined his incredible climbing aptitude.

For France, the 40-year-long fasting at Grande Boucle is becoming unbearable. And albeit Seixas still needs to take a few extra steps in his development to surpass the likes of Pogacar, Vingegaard or Evenepoel, the foundation is clearly there. Then it's only a matter of when will the young talent be ready to make his debut.

"Without beating around the bush, all scenarios are possible," Decathlon performance director Jean-Baptiste Quiclet told Vélo Magazine. "He could do a season without a Grand Tour, or he could compete in the Giro, the Tour or the Vuelta."

"It will depend also on the timing of the Grand Tour in the year and whether it gives the possibility of increasing the number of learning experiences in one-week races," Quiclet highlights the patience of the French team and Seixas.

It's not only Grand Tours where Seixas could shine. As evidenced by the races in Kigali and Ardeche, Seixas can as well compete for big one-day successes. Races such as Lombardia could then be cut out for the 19-year-old. And Decathlon is trying to balance all aspects of racing as well as possible to maximize the strengths Seixas.

"Several projects are clashing: one-day races, Monuments, major championships and Grand Tours," Quiclet said. "One thing that’s certain is that he will have to choose in order to succeed. We’ll adapt to the circumstances he encounters during the season. Above all, we don’t want to break the positive momentum, because with each passing month, we see a new Paul."

In the years to come, France have in any case a lot of reason for optimism with Lenny Martinez, who is racing at Bahrain - Victorious, as another promising GC rider. But the 22-year-old has yet to prove that he can truly aim for a Grand Tour podium as his first handful of participations ended up being more of a learning experience. With Seixas, the bar is set even higher and "just participating" doesn't sound like an option.

"There are two opposing views. The first is somewhat similar to the 'Lenny Martinez project,'" Quiclet said. "Lenny has also said that he wants to win a Grand Tour within the next three years, and he rode the Tour in a free role. On the other hand, developing the skills to be a leader in a Grand Tour is a long continuum. And that to achieve this, you need to aim for consistency, daily concentration and self-sacrifice, which builds you up from your first Grand Tour."

"Whatever Paul does, all eyes are on him," Quiclet said. "We won’t be able to protect him from the pressure even if he rides in a free role. What matters is what he thinks is most relevant to his future quest for the general classification."