'A frenzy that worries me a little' - Bardet warns to cool Seixas pressure

Romain Bardet has expressed some concern about the growing hype surrounding the French teenage prodigy Paul Seixas and the pressures that come with it.

"There's a certain frenzy that worries me a little, given the incredibly demanding nature of it for young athletes," Bardet told Ouest France.

Bardet, who retired from the professional ranks at the end of the Critérium du Dauphiné in June, was once in a similar position as Seixas, as the rising French star coming through at AG2R La Mondiale in 2012, though Bardet was 21 when he turned professional in 2012. 

Seixas, meanwhile, is only 19 and already has his first pro season under his belt, which includes eighth on GC at the Critérium du Dauphiné, winning the Tour de l’Avenir (Under-23), third at the European Championships, and seventh at Il Lombardia.

Naturally, for a rider of his talent, and with the results to match, heavy expectations have been placed on the 19-year-old’s shoulders by a nation that is still waiting for their first home champion at the Tour de France since Bernard Hinault in 1985.

Bardet was once in that position of carrying the hopes of a nation, and while he didn’t win the Tour, he still enjoyed plenty of success, including finishing second in 2016 and third in 2017. He won four  stages in total as well as the mountains classification, and he enjoyed a day in the yellow jersey after claiming the opening stage in his final appearance in 2024. 

The retired Frenchman believes maintaining freshness and enthusiasm is crucial for young talents. "You have to keep in mind that a career may seem short, but it's also long," said Bardet. "The hardest thing in cycling is maintaining that carefree attitude. We see it with Pogacar and the weariness that perhaps sets in during the Tour de France."

With reports suggesting Seixas could make his Grand Tour debut next year, Bardet cautioned against rushing his development.

"Now, to turn professional, they have to meet a level of expectation that's so much higher than it was when we turned professional," he explained. "This is reflected in the level of performance they manage to achieve from a very young age. It's this aspect, with the resulting mental strain, that can weaken long-term motivation."

Bardet also emphasises the importance of variety in a young rider's programme to maintain enthusiasm.

"In the WorldTour, we did the same races five, six, seven, or ten times. There's no variety. I think you have to maintain that freshness over the years to keep your body active on the side," said Bardet, who has transitioned to gravel racing since retirement.

"It's good, in the early years of your career, to maintain the sense of wonder of discovering new events, gradually increasing the number of races you participate in. Paul needs to still want to experience races he hasn't done yet, in two or three years."

The hype around Seixas has reached such levels that Groupama-FDJ team manager Marc Madiot compared him to five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault.

"If you placed Bernard Hinault in today's generation, he would have had the same abilities as Paul Seixas," Madiot told CyclismActu.net. "Riders today are better prepared, better trained, better educated. They're ready to perform much younger."

Seixas is yet to make his Grand Tour debut, and there have been reports suggesting the 19-year-old could make his debut in a three-week race next year, potentially at the Tour de France.