Top talent Paul Seixas knows he must beat Tadej Pogacar to reach his big goal and start preparing for it

“It was an excellent season,” says the rider from Lyon. “I said at the beginning of the season that I wanted to come and learn. I've learned a lot, so that's already a given.” He didn't have any clear ambitions to achieve significant results beforehand. “I didn't expect to perform so well, and I expected more ups and downs. I'm stunned.”

In April, Seixas may have surprised the cycling world a little. He hadn't won among the pros yet, but he could have done so in the final stage of the Tour of the Alps. The youngster ultimately gave the victory to his teammate Nicolas Prodhomme. “It was one of my best moments of the season,” Seixas recalls.

An 18-year-old youngster sacrificing his first professional victory for a teammate ten years his senior: according to Seixas himself, it was never really a question. “The team is really the key to this sport. On your own, no matter how strong you are, it's not enough. Having a solid team behind you is what makes the difference,” he says, sounding quite mature for his age.

So while Seixas showed some very clever things this year, the Frenchman – not entirely illogically – came up against Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel at the European Championships. The youngster took his place on the podium alongside them, and it is precisely the gap between him and those two that he wants to close. “There is a big difference between Pogacar and Evenepoel today,” Seixas is realistic.

“They are very solid, very consistent and, above all, very strong athletes,” says the Frenchman, who says he will “do everything he can to close the gap as much as possible.” The gap with the Slovenian in particular seems enormous. “It's impressive. When you see him break away, you think, ‘Well, there's nothing we can do about that...’ We want to slow down, he wants to speed up; it's not the same mentality.”

But when Seixas is asked about his biggest dream, he doesn't have to think long. “Winning the Tour de France,” he says firmly. Especially with Pogacar around, the youngster is aware of the progress he still needs to make to achieve that goal. “I still have time and I still need to improve, but we'll see when I can participate.”

At Bistrot Vélo, Seixas is slowly preparing for a Tour de France participation. “The age difference is still significant. It means that we don't belong to the same generation, and Pogacar will decline sooner than I will. But the goal is not to beat him when he declines, but when he is at his best.” That sets the tone.

If he wins the Tour, and no other Frenchman has done it before him, Seixas will succeed the great Bernard Hinault as the last French winner of the Tour. The pressure from his own country is therefore increasing. Seixas does not seem to be bothered by this. “If I can’t do what people expect of me, they will be disappointed, but I do what I can.”

The young man from Lyon is already receiving a lot of media attention, which can be challenging to handle. Does Seixas receive media training from the team? “No, although we have done it once or twice, on specific topics. It's also about how often you do it. If you do it often, you make rapid progress. I've been doing interviews regularly since I was fourteen, so I feel comfortable with it."

The pressure from France and the media could therefore develop into a pitfall, but the Decathlon top talent does not seem to be overly concerned about this. “Many great talents are praised, and the media quickly becomes enthusiastic about them. Ultimately, it is easier to be the best of a generation than the best of all generations. However, you also have to take into account the quality of the generation, which can influence opinions.” ‘

“The second factor is mentality, how you approach things,” Seixas continues. “The most important thing is to give your best. If my best result in my career is fifth place in the Tour de France, then it will be fifth place in the Tour de France. But I will do everything I can to succeed,” he says, full of motivation.