“What I did today is a disgrace”: Heartbroken Paul Seixas slams own “rookie mistake” after severe cramps relegate him to 15th in Montréal

Paul Seixas finished 15th at the 2026 World Championships in Montréal after cramping in the closing kilometers ended his hopes of fighting for the rainbow jersey. The Frenchman had been one of the main contenders entering the race and remained part of the front group deep into the finale, only for his challenge to unravel when the race was reaching its decisive moments.

Brandon McNulty ultimately won the world title after attacking from the reduced group and holding off the chase by 13 seconds. Michael Matthews took silver and Mathieu van der Poel bronze, while Seixas was among the riders who had remained in contention as the repeated attacks gradually reduced the field.

France had played an active role throughout the race, with Valentin Paret-Peintre, Jordan Jegat and Pavel Sivakov involved in earlier moves before the strongest riders began to emerge.

Seixas was still alongside the leading contenders late in the race, but his chances disappeared when he began suffering from severe cramps. He crossed the finish in 15th place, visibly exhausted and deeply frustrated by what had happened.

Seixas did not attempt to disguise his disappointment after the finish. The 20-year-old was immediately critical of his own performance and apologized for failing to capitalize on the work done by his French teammates.

“Yeah... I don't really feel like talking about it. What I did today is a disgrace,” Seixas said. “Cramping like that is a rookie mistake; I've never had cramps in my life on the bike. Today, I made a stupid mistake.”

The cramps arrived at the worst possible moment. With the race already reduced to a small group of contenders and McNulty beginning to establish his winning advantage, Seixas was no longer able to follow the moves at the front.

“I’m extremely disappointed—obviously for myself, but mostly for all of France and for the whole team, who did an incredible job and didn't deserve a leader like this,” he added.

Asked how he had ended up suffering cramps despite never experiencing the same problem during a race, Seixas was unable to give an immediate explanation. “Honestly, I don't know,” he said. “I don't want to talk about it while emotions are running so high. Honestly, I don't know... maybe I underestimated my fueling on the bike.”

Seixas had arrived in Montréal after producing one of the most impressive seasons by a rider of his age in recent years. He had already established himself as a genuine contender in stage races and one-day classics long before becoming France's leader for the World Championships.

His 2026 season began with a stage victory and second in the overall at the Tour of the Algarve before he won the Faun-Ardèche Classic. He then finished second to Tadej Pogacar at Strade Bianche and went on to win the overall classification at the Itzulia Basque Country, taking three stage victories along the way. Later in the spring, he won La Flèche Wallonne and finished second behind Pogacar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

His first Tour de France was another major step. Seixas finished fourth overall, becoming one of the youngest riders ever to finish inside the top five of the race. He also arrived in Montréal in strong form. Seixas had finished second at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal two weeks earlier, beaten by Isaac Del Toro, before producing another major result in the World Championships time trial. He took bronze behind Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna, confirming himself as one of the world's leading young time-trial specialists.

The cramps in Montréal therefore ended one of his biggest targets of the year, but they did not erase what Seixas had already accomplished in 2026.