'My next ambition is to win a Monument' — Paul Seixas after second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) kept French hopes alive — and cycling fans around the world on the edge of their seats — on Sunday, before confirming that Tadej Pogačar was still a step too far. The 19-year-old spoke to the press in Liège and was soon rewarded with a generous tribute from the man who had just beaten him.

"I'm impressed and astonished by how good Paul is — hats off to him," Pogačar said. "I have nothing but praise for that young man — for his incredible results at the start of this season and for how mature he is. I don't think there are many riders right now who are stronger than him. The fact that he performs at such a high level at 19 motivates everyone to keep trying to improve. He's 19, and the best age for us riders is usually 26 or 28."

Seixas returned the compliment. "I always race to win, but we know Pogačar has been absolutely dominant in recent years, so just being able to follow him is already something."

"You have to approach things step by step, without rushing," Seixas said. "At Strade Bianche I couldn't follow his first attack — today I could, so I'm very happy with my performance. The team's work also played a huge part. At Strade Bianche I was isolated and couldn't get onto his wheel when he attacked. Here I was perfectly positioned behind him all day."

That lasted until the Roche-aux-Faucons, where the world champion finally pulled clear after they had traded blows together on the Redoute. "The pace was insane. It didn't take much more to crack — I was at my limit. I held on as long as I could, and after that it felt good to recover for a moment and take turns at the front with him. I simply lacked the strength to stay with him any longer."

"It's incredibly hard to follow Pogačar," Seixas knows from experience now. "He's one of the greatest riders of all time, so being able to follow him and fight all the way to the Roche-aux-Faucons is a real achievement. There's still work to be done — that's normal. We mustn't rush anything, but we should be proud of what we achieved today."

He also reflected on the unknowns that came with racing a Monument over this distance. "I was in uncharted territory with such a long race. I did well at Il Lombardia last year, but there were still question marks. I think I've taken a step forward in terms of endurance. The race's difficulty almost works in my favour — I can repeat efforts and recover well from them, as we saw at the Tour of the Basque Country."

That bodes well for what comes next — though Seixas gave nothing away about a potential Tour de France debut. "Now that I've finished second, my next ambition is to win a Monument. There are no certainties in life when it comes to the future: you've only achieved something once you've done it."