🎥 Finally we have the answer: Paul Seixas will ride the Tour de France this summer: 'It’s been my childhood dream'

Will he or won't he? It has been the most pressing question of the spring. But the speculation came to an end on Monday morning, as Paul Seixas announced that he will start the Tour de France this summer. His team, Decathlon CMA CGM, made the announcement via a wonderful video at his grandparent's home. France will undoubtedly be delighted — though the pressure on the young Frenchman will now be considerable.

Seixas went back to where it all began to make the announcement we've all be waiting for: "This is where it all started. This is where I began following cycling. I also started training here. Behind the house there's a little climb, the Côte de Luth. When I was small, that was my thing — to ride it as fast as possible," the young talent says.

We also see his family sharing fond memories. "I won't go down to the cellar, but there's a cupboard down there with at least fifty trophies," his grandfather says. "He wasn't far away at Liège-Bastogne-Liège either, was he — at nineteen years old," the Frenchman's grandfather adds.

Then Seixas himself makes the announcement. "I've come here to announce something special. In July I do have a race," the young talent laughs, before his grandmother enthusiastically guesses the Tour. The reaction says it all. "I'm the happiest man on earth," says his grandfather.

With that, a long period of speculation finally comes to an end. A great many current and former riders and sports directors had already weighed in on whether Seixas should make his Tour debut now or not. There was no consensus — which made the choice that the youngster and his team, Decathlon CMA CGM, would eventually make all the more intriguing.

Among those in favour was Geraint Thomas. "The sooner he can get used to the pressure, the faster he will learn to deal with it. Right now, nobody is disappointed if he doesn't win — but in a few years that may be different," the Welshman said. Marc Sergeant agreed: "He will never be able to go to the Tour with less pressure than this year."

Jeroen Vanbelleghem perhaps put it best: "Everyone wants to see him at the Tour de France now, don't they?" But Greg Van Avermaet was not convinced: "You should not underestimate the impact of a Grand Tour on a 19-year-old's body." Johan Bruyneel added: "Personally I would not send him. I would give him some time and prepare a full team entirely in his service for the Vuelta."

None of that matters now. Paul Seixas will ride the Tour de France this summer. France, and the entire cycling world, will be watching closely to see if the young man can handle the pressure.

Decathlon CMA CGM announced the news on their website on Monday morning. Chief Executive Dominique Serieys explained why the long wait for a decision: “We had planned to meet after the Ardennes classics to decide on the next steps for Paul Seixas’s schedule. We needed to take the time to thoroughly analyze all the data and also discuss things with Paul and his team."

"He’s had a remarkable start to the season and is already among the [world's] best riders. And the best riders are destined to compete in the biggest race on the calendar: the Tour France. With great humility and a focus on learning, Paul will start in Barcelona with genuine ambitions to achieve the best possible result in the general classification,” concluded Serieys.

In the same team statement, Seixas himself elaborated on this motivations for starting the Tour at just 19: "It’s been my childhood dream, something I’ve often imagined, and now it’s just around the corner," said the young Frenchman. "I’m only 19 years old, but as I’ve said before, age is neither a barrier nor an excuse. This decision, made in consultation with the team management, was carefully considered and developed collectively over the past few days."

"My results since the start of the season have given me a lot of confidence; I feel ready, and I’ll have ambitious goals. It is not in my nature, nor is it my conception of cycling, to compete in the Tour France with the sole aim of learning the ropes; I will be aiming for the best possible finish. Before that, I will also compete in the Tour [uvergne-Rhône-Alpes, formerly Critérium du Dauphiné] in June, on roads I know very well and in a format that will serve as the ideal preparation for my first Grand Tour.”