Top talents keep getting younger, but Vingegaard hopes not to see them in the Tour yet: "Maybe better to wait"

It is amazing to see how many very young talents have already found their place at the highest level. Isaac Del Toro is still only 21 years old and is already in the top 3 of the UCI world rankings. Paul Magnier, also 21, won 18 races this season, and Matthew Brennan (20) triumphed 12 times. Albert Withen Philipsen, second in Tre Valli Varesine and third in Paris-Tours, is only 19!

And then there is always Paul Seixas. The Frenchman from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is also 19 and only celebrated his birthday in September. With top performances in the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Tour de l'Avenir, the Tour of Lombardy, and, of course, his bronze medal at the European cycling championships, France stands solidly behind this super talent, who is already being compared to the greatest.

After such a great season, Seixas knows he will take a step up next year. He is focusing on one of the Grand Tours. “Of course, it's my dream to ride the Tour de France,” he told RMC. “I think I'll do one of the three Grand Tours next season. That's already certain. But there are other factors at play. The Tour brings a lot of media pressure.”

However, the Frenchman knows what his big goal is. “To win the Tour de France,” he said earlier. “I still have time, and I need to improve, but we'll see when I can participate. The age difference is still significant. It means that we don't belong to the same generation and that Pogacar will decline sooner than I will after a while. But the goal is not to beat him when he declines, but when he is at his best.”

Big statements from the very young talent. He is oozing with confidence, but Vingegaard hopes he can restrain himself: he advises him to skip the Tour for now. “Honestly, I would wait if I were him. As a Frenchman, probably France's greatest talent, he will be under a lot of pressure if he does it, so maybe he should wait a few years until he's really ready.”

Vingegaard has a few top talents at Visma | Lease a Bike himself, with Brennan and Jørgen Nordhagen. The Norwegian is known as one of the best climbers of his generation, but the Dutch team is taking a cautious approach with him. According to his Danish team leader, that's a good choice. “I don't know him personally, but I know he has a lot of talent, and in that case, it might be better for him to wait,” he concludes about Seixas.