Youngest Tour de France participant since 1937, Paul Seixas, is cool, calm, and composed in Barcelona
CyclingThursday, 02 July 2026 at 19:05
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Follow us on GoogleIt is maybe lucky for Paul Seixas that France are still in the World Cup and is doing well. The pre-Tour de Franc Decathlon CMA CGM press conference on Thursday afternoon was packed, such is the level of interest and expectation of the 19-year-old. Seixas, dressed in a neat, student-like shirt, had a good answer for everyone.
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Seixas is the youngest participant since Adrien Cento in... 1937. But he's also the most hyped participant since... ever? “It’s definitely unique. But then again… the Tour is simply in a league of its own, and this is proof of that. I think it’s a wonderful new experience that’s just beginning for me, so we’ll see how it goes. I’d say it’s mainly because this is my first Tour. As for the statistics regarding age or whatever: I think this is going to be a really great experience above all else.'
Is Paul Seixas fit for the Tour de France?
How is Seixas doing, actually, after he had to withdraw from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes following a crash? “It’s true that the first few days after that crash weren’t the easiest. But anyway, he’s recovered well by now. I was able to resume training after a few days, and we had a really good training camp in Les Arcs and then in Isère with the team.'
And now here he is in Barcelona, at the start of a Tour de France where many eyes will already be on him. First question, from a Spanish journalist: Do you compare yourself to Lamine Yamal? “I’m actually approaching this just like any other race, but of course with a certain degree of seriousness and focus. I’m ready for it. Of course, it’s extra special because it’s the Tour and it’s in France, but I’m really treating it as if it were just another race.”
Seixas knows he's going to run into some obstacles
Benoot must help ensure that Seixas avoids making mistakes. “Of course, it depends on what kind of mistakes they are—you can’t be perfect, and making small mistakes over the course of three weeks is normal, because it’s a long race. But the goal is to compete for the general classification, to do as well as possible, and after three weeks, we’ll take stock.”
"Right now, I don't really have anything specific in mind. It's more a question of how my recovery will go over the next 10 to 15 days of racing. Those are more questions I ask myself than actual fears," said the Frenchman. "If mistakes are made or if there are difficult moments, that mainly provides me with a lot of learning opportunities for the future. So that can also be a positive thing."
So it’s quite possible that he’ll hit a wall at some point. “Will I attack a lot? We’ll have to see during the race—it depends on how I feel. But there aren’t any pre-set limits. If there’s a chance to attack and my legs feel good, why not? It depends purely on the situation on the bike and how I feel that day.”
Read on below the photo!
Benoot, Kooij, and Seixas in late December.
Seixas on collaborating with Kooij and Benoot
The race kicks off on Saturday, starting right away with a test: the team time trial in Barcelona. “I think we have a very strong team. We’ve completed our first real test for the team time trial, and it went really well,” said Seixas, who will be counting on Daan Hoole, Cees Bol, and Olav Kooij, among others, in Barcelona.
There had been speculation for quite some time about the participation of the latter, the team’s sprinter. “I think Olav and I work very well together. He’s a great rider, and so far we’ve had some good moments with the whole team. So yeah, everything’s fine. As for the team’s decisions: to be honest, I haven’t gotten involved in that. That’s up to the team management.”
Also on the team is Tiesj Benoot, who brings his experience from riding for Jonas Vingegaard. “He’s a very important rider on the team for me, of course. He’s incredibly experienced, and you can tell that he’s really in control and knows what he’s doing. He’ll be our road captain, and I think he’ll guide us very well.”
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Grande artículo, pero falta hablar de las contrarrelojes técnicas. Si hay lluvia o viento lateral, Pog y Vingo pueden perder/gastar segundos por simple riesgo, no solo por vatios.patriciaw02-07-2026
- - Not sure about Paul Seixas for third… feels a bit premature. Ayuso has the engine for third if he doesn’t burn too many matches early. Del Toro could podium, but he’s still inconsistent on third‑week durability. Lipowitz is the dark horse for steady top-5, not fireworks.lindae02-07-2026
- - Vingo’s Giro was “untroubled,” but the level and heat there weren’t Pog’s spring steamroller. Key will be team depth: UAE vs Visma. If Visma stack the valleys and crosswinds, they can isolate Pog on a medium mountain day. Otherwise he’ll just surf wheels and snipe bonuses.bikebuffj02-07-2026
- - Are time trials usually that decisive in the Tour? If both are strong climbers, why wouldn’t mountain stages make a bigger gap?jeremya02-07-2026
- - Wild how people still doubt Pog after Suisse and that Romandie/Ronde/Strade run. But Valverde’s right on the TT angle—2026 course has enough chrono kms that pacing and aero could flip seconds into minutes if someone cracks.gearguru3302-07-2026
- - Petite question: s’il n’y a pas de leader pour le général, est-ce que ça change la stratégie sur Montjuïc le deuxième jour? Moins de contrôle du peloton, non?tourdeforce902-07-2026
- - Massive respect for how he framed GC dynamics—these days Pogi and Remco can win a punchy TTT-ish opener too. Still, MvdP on a technical finish is box office. Vamos Mathieu!raceready702-07-2026
- - Not sure about “nothing special about the tactics.” On a technical TTT you can’t just brute-force it; pacing order, pull lengths, and who takes the corners matters loads. Hope they’ve actually simulated that, not just “go fast to the climbs.”davidm02-07-2026
- - Great to hear they’re all-in for Jasper and the green again. If Philipsen’s sprint train is as dialed as last July, watch out. Barcelona opener plus Montjuïc on day two screams chaos and bonus seconds.cyclechamp4502-07-2026
- - Slightly confused: is stage 1 really a team time trial with climbs and a technical run-in? I thought TTTs are usually flatter. How does the timing work—first rider across or fourth?julien02-07-2026
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