Seixas learns hard World Championship lesson after 'childish mistake' in Montréal: 'I’d rather not talk about it'

With 12 laps to go, it was France's Bruno Armirail who ramped up the pace on Sunday. As a result, the breakaway group saw its lead melt away like snow in the sun. It soon became clear that the French team might have been a bit too ambitious, as Seixas found himself alone with more than 70 kilometers to go.

"It was a tough race, and that was perfect for me," Seixas said afterwards, speaking to Eurosport. He added: "It's a huge disappointment. My teammates gave it their all to help me achieve the best result, and it didn’t work out.”

There was little to no panic. “Everything was going so well, my legs felt great, and to be honest, I don’t want to talk about it,” Seixas said, declining to comment on the cramps he experienced in the final. “It’s a shame what happened to me today—getting cramps like that. It was a childish mistake; I’ve never gotten cramps on a bike in my life.”

"I'm disappointed in myself, but it's what I deserve," the young Frenchman said, making no secret of his disappointment. “My teammates did a fantastic job. They don’t deserve a leader like me. It must have been the hydration; I don’t know, I’d rather not talk about it.”

Of course, Seixas didn't give up. "When I started getting cramps, I knew it was going to be tough, but I thought about my teammates, about everything they'd done, and I kept going until I collapsed. It's such a shame that I had to fight so hard for this. It’s my fault; I’m incredibly disappointed in what I did.”

"You could say I was close, but I'm really missing it right now. It's hard to find comfort right now; you can't just let it go—it'll take time," said Seixas. Words that national team coach Voeckler could certainly relate to. “I’m just as bummed as Paul,” he told l’Équipe afterward.

The national team coach saw his plan carried out effectively. “We did what we had to do. Especially with Bruno (Armirail, ed.), we didn’t overdo it. We wanted to make the race tougher, and it’s true that it got a little out of hand because everything was incredibly intense. It just wasn’t our day today—that’s all...”

But also: “I have to admit that, in my opinion, Paul was a little too isolated a bit too early in the race. But things like that happen. Yes, I would have liked to see him get a little more support, but I’m not going to blame anyone. These are my decisions, and you have to take responsibility for them.”

Voeckler doesn't seem to have any regrets. "I still believe that was in Paul's best interest, given the course. Brandon McNulty took full advantage of the Belgian and French strategies. Of course, it's a huge disappointment, but it's also my job to help ease that disappointment. We’re always more disappointed when we had a chance to succeed, and that was the case here.”