Cosnefroy credits Seixas' Flèche Wallonne debut masterclass - 'Paul rode like a boss'

“Honestly, I believed in it at 400 metres to go, I was still feeling good, but it caught up with me at 200. I started to feel it getting hard, and at 150 metres I was really suffering," Cosnefroy said in his post race interview.

The 30-year-old Frenchman was pleased with his own performance from a tactical point of view, in terms of both positioning and timing his effort. His 4th place finish matched his position from when he last started the race back in 2024.

“I didn’t feel any hesitation, no. Honestly, at that moment, all the teammates are on the limit, and you’re just trying to find your leader, but it’s never easy,” said Cosnefroy.

“Honestly, I gave my maximum, and you can’t be disappointed when you give everything. Tactically, I didn’t make any mistakes. I was exactly where I needed to be," explained the Frenchman.

Despite the strength of those, including Cosnefroy, Paul Seixas had too much in reserve for the competition, and the 19-year-old Frenchman powered clear to become the youngest winner in the history of Flèche Wallonne. Cosnefroy paid credit to his compatriot.

“Paul [Seixas] rode like a boss today, he showed he was the strongest, so chapeau to him," said Cosnefroy.

Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike), who pipped Cosnefroy to the final podium spot, described the finale on the Mur de Huy as “quite an honest finish”, and the Frenchman agreed with that sentiment.

“It’s just that I was the fourth strongest today… or the third weakest, depending on how you look at it," added Cosnefroy.

Cosnefroy’s 4th at Flèche adds to 3rd place finishes at Brabantse Pijl and the Amstel Gold Race, illustrating his good form. Next up on the horizon is Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where his teammate and world champion Tadej Pogačar will be gunning for a third title.