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Follow us on GooglePaul Seixas has heard the Tadej Pogačar comparisons all year. Now, a former Tour de France winner has gone a step further. On his Watts Occurring podcast, Geraint Thomas said the young Frenchman is already ahead of where the Slovenian was at the same age. The way he said it, and who he said it to, makes the verdict more interesting than it first looks.
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Thomas and Rowe spoke about Seixas's rapid rise in 2026.
Thomas and co-host Luke Rowe were discussing the Frenchman's Il Lombardia victory.
Rowe is a sports director at Decathlon CMA CGM, and therefore has inside knowledge of Seixas.
He's better than Pog when Pog was that age. He's not just the wins, but just how he seems. He just seems more advanced, more developed.- Geraint Thomas on the Watts Occurring podcast
Thomas to Rowe: 'An exciting few years for your team'
Thomas added that Seixas is "naturally still going to step up year on year." Then he turned to his co-host: "It's going to be an exciting few years for him and for France and for your team."
Rowe, Thomas's former teammate at Team Sky and INEOS Grenadiers, has been working as a sports director at Decathlon since 2025. He has been a close witness to Seixas's rapid rise from with the team.
Seixas won il Lombardia in 2026, his first Monument at just 20.
Thomas has a vested interest in Seixas's progress
Thomas is Director of Racing at Netcompany INEOS, and his team has been named in reports as a possible suitor for Seixas, along with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Visma | Lease a Bike and Pinarello-Q36.5.
Seixas is under contract until the end of 2027, and he has said he will make no decision until after his holiday. So a senior figure at a rival team praised Seixas to a member of the staff Decathlon hopes will keep him.
Read more below the video.
Thomas on Pogačar: 'He can keep improving till he's like 35'
Thomas was careful not to crown Seixas yet. "Pog's still improving," Thomas said, adding that the Slovenian had been better in 2026 than ever before. "He's unique, don't get me wrong, Pog," he said.
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Rowe was less sure about how long that could last: "How much better can he get? Is he going to continue to get better after the age of 30?" Thomas did not hesitate: "Mentally, if he can still commit and do everything right, he can keep improving till he's like 35 in my eyes."
He did add one condition: "Unless he completely burns himself out, which he would have to start to rein it in with the Classics and the Grand Tours. In my eyes, no reason why he can't keep improving."
Read more below the photo.
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- A fascinating career, but the article leans heavily on his side of the story. Were the three disqualifications all for the same equipment rule, or were there different issues each time?michael5412-11-2026
- I’m still not sure how the handlebar rules work. If another rider can rest their wrists on the bars, why was Van Schip disqualified for his position?jennifer1912-11-2026
- The UCI really needs clearer, consistently enforced rules on bike setups and riding positions. If Van Schip was being told different things from race to race, no wonder he got fed up.patriciaw12-11-2026
- Two world track titles and three pro wins is a serious career, whatever the controversies. Shame he felt the sport stopped listening to him. Hope Rotterdam gives him the send-off he deserves.tourdeforce912-11-2026
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026