🎥 Showing signs of Dauphiné crash, Paul Seixas recons important Tour de France climbs

France is watching the start of the Tour de France with bated breath. Prodigy Paul Seixas is set to make his debut at the Tour de France, and every fan is hoping that the 19-year-old rider from Decathlon CMA CGM will put on a great show. But how much will his crash in the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes hold him back?

Seixas already showed great promise during his professional debut in 2025, but the strides he has made this year are impressive. With victories in the Tour of the Basque Country and the Flèche Wallonne, he proved himself to be an exceptional talent. Normally, he wouldn’t have been selected for the Tour, but with every performance, the calls for him to be included in the roster grew louder.

Decathlon CMA CGM gradually realized that they could no longer ignore the prodigy, and ultimately decided to include him in the roster after all. In the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes, he would complete his final races leading up to the Tour, and he got off to a strong start in the stage race in his home region. He was high in the standings and seemed ready to fight for the overall victory.

But a crash in the penultimate stage of the race threw a wrench in the works. He hit the ground hard after misjudging a turn. Wearing a bloodstained white jersey, he set off in pursuit. He still managed a respectable seventh place on the Grand Colombier, but after a poor night’s sleep, he had to drop out early in the final stage.

His elbow, which had taken the brunt of the impact in the crash, was causing him too much pain. The Tour de France didn’t seem to be in jeopardy, although Decathlon CMA CGM hasn’t announced its roster yet. In any case, the French climber is in full preparation mode: he was spotted by Le Dauphiné in the Alps with his teammates.

With his climbing support riders Nicholas Prodhomme, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Gregor Mühlberger, and Matthew Riccitello, Seixas climbed the Col du Galibier there. That climb is also part of the penultimate stage of the Tour, albeit in the opposite direction. Incidentally, Seixas completed the reconnaissance ride heavily bandaged: his elbow is still firmly wrapped.