Seixas shrugs off pressure as unusual mechanical proves only hurdle in Itzulia

The young Frenchman and his team kept things firmly under control throughout a stage that never truly threatened his 1:59 advantage, despite a large and strong breakaway going clear early on.

Up the road, Axel Laurance took the stage victory from that breakaway ahead of Igor Arrieta, while Seixas finished safely in the peloton to retain the yellow jersey.

“It was a calmer day than the previous two,” Seixas said after the finish to CyclingPro.net. “The breakaway had a hard time going because a lot of teams were interested, but my team did a really good job. I was in a good position all day, able to stay on the wheels and avoid getting caught out.”

Seixas remained attentive throughout, occasionally moving up when needed but largely conserving energy as the race unfolded ahead of him.

“I could stay in the wheels, sometimes I had to be near the front to control a bit and not get surprised,” he explained. “In the final, I felt good and could sense others wanted to make it harder, so I followed and played along.”

His day was briefly disrupted by an unusual mechanical issue that forced a bike change.

“I broke my bottle cage. A gel got stuck between the cage and the bottle and it snapped,” Seixas said. “It was a bit unusual, but there was no stress. I took my time to change and everything went smoothly.”

Despite the incident, there was little sign of pressure affecting the 19-year-old, who continues to lead one of the biggest races of his young career with notable composure.

“I don’t really care about the pressure,” he said. “When I have the legs, I have the legs. On the bike, it’s not about pressure, it’s about doing what you need to do to win.”

Seixas looks forward to the remaining stages of Itzulia Basque with the Frenchman and his team relishing the opportunity, "We really enjoy racing, even if it's extremely hard," he said.