Seixas was in damage limitation mode at the Tour de France team time trial: 'Satisfied with how I felt'

On Saturday, Paul Seixas looked back on the first stage of the Tour de France with a sense of satisfaction. The 19-year-old team leader made his debut at the Tour de France — in any Grand Tour — but didn’t have time to enjoy the moment during an explosive team time trial. Decathlon CMA CGM finished sixth.

The hype surrounding Seixas was already huge when it was announced that he would be riding the Tour de France. Once the race got underway, that hype only grew. There were already long lines of people gathered around the Decathlon CMA CGM team bus, all waiting for a glimpse of the prodigy.

Seixas ultimately only made a statement at the finish, after posting the sixth-fastest time in the time trial. The French team fell just short of the top five and finished 39 seconds behind winner Visma | Lease a Bike. Fifth-place finisher Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe finished 19 seconds behind, and the gap between fifth and sixth place was 20 seconds.

Still, Seixas was a happy man when the French media swarmed him after the finish. The climber had crossed the finish line alone. “We were in our own little world; a time trial like that is special. Emotions play a big role, but we were focused.”

For Seixas, therefore, enjoying the Tour de France won’t begin until Stage 2. “I think the first road stage is going to be awesome. I’m glad to be here and I felt good. Today, there was no question of pacing; we just gave it our all for the best possible time.”

With a 39-second gap to Vingegaard, you might call it a minor disappointment, but that wasn't the case. “We managed to limit the damage today, and I'm satisfied with how I felt,” said Seixas.

That gave him the confirmation he might have been looking for after his crash in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. “We rode a good time trial and had expected these time gaps. On Sunday, we’ll see how it goes; that’s when we’ll really get a feel for the race. We’re in top form; everyone’s happy.”