White jersey and podium battle nears its climax after Tour de France time trial: 'Mental game now'

The battle for the podium has been intense throughout the Tour de France, and after Jonas Vingegaard dropped out, two spots suddenly became available. After the time trial, the battle for the white jersey has also become more intense, as Isaac Del Toro and Paul Seixas are now separated by just 20 seconds. Both of these super-talented riders shared their thoughts after stage 16.

"Today was crazy," the top French talent said in an interview with Eurosport after the race. “The course was really good. The descent was maybe a little dangerous on a time-trial bike, but I think we all handled it well. There were no crashes except for Lipowitz,” Seixas had also heard about the Red Bull rider’s withdrawal.

But, the Frenchman adds: “I heard that it didn’t happen on the descent. It’s a real shame that he had to leave the Tour, because once again, a good rider is unable to continue. It was truly a sad moment,” he said, also expressing his support for Lipowitz, who had taken a hard fall.

After the time trial, the gap between Seixas and Del Toro is now just 20 seconds, in favor of the Mexican. “We have to keep going. Today was pretty tough for me. I think I did the best I could. In the end, I’m right where I should be,” Seixas concluded his analysis.

Through his team’s press release, he added: “It’s becoming more and more of a mental battle, but the start of the third week is going great. I’ve gained five seconds on Isaac Del Toro. Physically, I still feel strong; I think my legs can handle it. Of course, this is my first Tour—it’s not easy—but I’m hanging in there. I’m satisfied with how I’m doing, and every day brings me a little closer to Paris.”

Finishing five places behind Seixas, Del Toro was the fifth-place finisher in the day’s results. With that, the UAE talent retained his white jersey and his third-place position in the general classification, although Seixas did close the gap slightly. “I think I can be happy with my time trial,” Del Toro began his post-race analysis with the organizers. “Especially after the past week and that scare.”

Just like his teammate Tadej Pogacar, the Mexican had a scary moment. “It was pretty slippery in some of the turns, and to be honest, the road wasn’t in great shape everywhere either. That wasn’t fun. Everyone took the risk,” he said, referring in part to Lipowitz, who ended up dropping out. “I’m pretty sad to hear about Lipo—that’s really not fun. I wish him a speedy recovery,” he said.

So Del Toro lost a total of five seconds to Seixas, but had he expected that? “We always try to stay positive, and we always try to be the ones gaining time on the others. When I look at all the panoramic shots in this movie, I can be pretty happy with today’s performance,” the Mexican rider from UAE concluded philosophically. Nice.