'All scenarios possible' as Seixas weighs up 2026 Tour debut

The cover of this month’s edition of Vélo Magazine leads with the question that all of French cycling is asking itself about Paul Seixas and the 2026 Tour de France – should he go?

Seixas’ assured debut season in the professional peloton has served only to heighten expectation that he could be the man to end the host nation’s record drought – 40 years of hurt and counting – at the Tour.

In his first year out of the junior ranks, Seixas showcased his talent with eighth place at the Critérium du Dauphiné, victory at the Tour de l’Avenir and a bronze medal behind Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel at the European Championships.

Although Seixas only turned 19 in September, his displays have led to the distinct possibility that he could make his Tour debut as early as next July, which would make him the youngest participant since Adrien Cento in 1937.

Seixas’ 2026 schedule won’t be revealed until the Decathlon-CMA CGM presentation on December 11 at the earliest, and there are competing schools of thought about how he should map out his sophomore season.

While Seixas has admitted that it would be a “dream” to line up for the Grand Départ in Barcelona on July 4, France’s last Tour champion, Bernard Hinault, has suggested that he tackle the Giro d’Italia or Vuelta a España before taking on the Tour.

National coach Thomas Voeckler has been even more circumspect, wondering if Seixas should target a week-long race like the Dauphiné, just as Hinault himself famously did in 1977 before winning the Tour at the first attempt the following year.

“Without beating around the bush, all scenarios are possible,” Decathlon performance director Jean-Baptiste Quiclet told Vélo Magazine. “He could do a season without a Grand Tour, or he could compete in the Giro, the Tour or the Vuelta.

“It will depend also on the timing of the Grand Tour in the year and whether it gives the possibility of increasing the number of learning experiences in one-week races.”

Seixas’ strong showing at the Kigali World Championships and his ability to last the distance in his Monument debut at Il Lombardia, where he placed seventh, have also raised the prospect that the hilly Classics and Montreal Worlds could be a target in 2026.

“Several projects are clashing: one-day races, Monuments, major championships and Grand Tours,” Quiclet said. “One thing that’s certain is that he will have to choose in order to succeed. We’ll adapt to the circumstances he encounters during the season. Above all, we don’t want to break the positive momentum, because with each passing month, we see a new Paul.”

If Decathlon do ultimately decide on sending Seixas to a Grand Tour in 2026, management will then have to figure out how precisely to deploy the 19-year-old. Once again, there are competing schools of thought. Seixas’ compatriot Lenny Martinez has long-term GC ambitions at the Tour, but his first two July experiences saw him race for stage victories rather than the overall standings.

“There are two opposing views. The first is somewhat similar to the ‘Lenny Martinez project,’” Quiclet said. “Lenny has also said that he wants to win a Grand Tour within the next three years, and he rode the Tour in a free role. 

“On the other hand, developing the skills to be a leader in a Grand Tour is a long continuum. And that to achieve this, you need to aim for consistency, daily concentration and self-sacrifice, which builds you up from your first Grand Tour.”

In any case, given all the expectations, it will be impossible for Seixas to ride his first Tour in anonymity, whether it comes in 2026 or later, or whether he rides for GC or simply to gain experience.

“Whatever Paul does, all eyes are on him,” Quiclet said. “We won’t be able to protect him from the pressure even if he rides in a free role. What matters is what he thinks is most relevant to his future quest for the general classification.”