“What were you doing at nineteen? Getting drunk and acting tough” – Lance Armstrong rethinks Paul Seixas criticism after historic Tour de France fourth
CyclingSunday, 26 July 2026 at 14:00
Lance Armstrong admitted a question from Sir Bradley Wiggins forced him to reconsider his criticism of Paul Seixas on the final mountain stage of the 2026 Tour de France. The Frenchman missed out on the podium at Alpe d’Huez but is set to finish fourth overall at only 19 years of age.
“He’s the youngest rider in the Tour since 1937 and finished fourth,” Armstrong said on The Move. “I was a bit critical of Seixas today, but Bradley asked me, ‘What were you doing at nineteen?’ The answer: getting drunk and acting tough.”
Seixas had started stage 20 only 20 seconds behind Isaac Del Toro in the fight for third overall. Decathlon CMA CGM Team wanted to put its young leader on the final podium, but Seixas was distanced as Tadej Pogacar set the pace for Del Toro on the Col de Sarenne.
The Frenchman finished 1:50 behind the UAE pair, increasing his deficit to Del Toro to 2:14. Seixas later admitted he had reached his limit and was disappointed that he could not sustain his podium challenge.
Youngest Tour rider for 89 years
This is Seixas’s first Grand Tour and he had never previously raced for longer than eight days. He started in Barcelona aged 19 years, nine months and ten days, making him the youngest Tour de France participant for 89 years.
Adrien Cento was younger when he entered the 1937 edition, while Danny van Poppel had previously held the post-war record after starting the 2013 Tour at 19 years and 11 months.
“Pogacar became the best ever in his early twenties,” Armstrong added as he considered what Seixas’s debut could mean for the coming years.
The 19-year-old had already established himself as one of cycling’s outstanding young talents before arriving at the Tour. He won the 2025 Tour de l’Avenir before becoming the youngest winner of both the Tour of the Basque Country and Fleche Wallonne in 2026. He also finished second behind Pogacar at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Paul Seixas at the 2026 Tour de France
“A future winner of the Tour de France”
Former US road champion George Hincapie was even more emphatic about Seixas’s long-term potential.
“I know the team wanted him on the podium, but he’s shown that he can handle three weeks of racing,” Hincapie said. “He’s shown that he’s a future winner of the Tour de France.”
France’s wait for a home winner of the men’s Tour stretches back to Bernard Hinault’s fifth victory in 1985. Seixas has reached the brink of the podium on his debut more than a year before his 21st birthday.
He enters the shortened final stage in Paris 11:56 behind Pogacar and 1:06 ahead of Lenny Martinez in fifth. Completing the Montmartre circuit will confirm fourth place in his first Tour de France.
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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- I know, they use such b.s. headlines. I saw that and assumed he got deathly ill overnightmij26-07-2026
- I watched the whole Tour on SBS and totally agree with you. Bridie is by far the best womens commentator across all the cycling channels. Really impressed with Caleb with his insight into the peleton. No stupid jokes and wrong information like one commentator we know.
Senna196026-07-2026 - Lol yes.Good one!Cyclingsbestfan26-07-2026
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- How can you EVER trust someone who never gave an answer to all the many inconsistencies in his stories and didn’t even seem interested in knowing what happened to him when he almost died?Jumpyjohn26-07-2026
- I agree with every word, except probably!MajorPayne26-07-2026
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- In an interview, Pogačar made clear why he engaged: Ayuso had too much of an advantage in the break and was moving in on the podium. The team interests came first, when the Tour win was already secure.RidesHills26-07-2026
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