‘He is the king of the race’ - Paul Seixas on what changes if Pogacar misses Worlds

Pogačar’s participation on September 27 remains uncertain following his heavy crash at the Vuelta a España, potentially removing the rider around whom much of the tactical thinking would otherwise revolve.

For Seixas, who is preparing for the final major block of his season in the French Alps, that would immediately change the complexion of the race.

“First of all, it was horrible to see Tadej crash because it was the kind of accident that could happen to anyone,” Seixas told media, including HLN. “I hope he recovers as quickly as possible.”

“It is still too early to say much because we don’t know whether he will be able to start, but of course it would change a lot if he wasn’t there.”

The 19-year-old knows first hand what it means to race against Pogačar at his best. At Liège-Bastogne-Liège earlier this season, Seixas was the rider who remained with him longest as the Slovenian asserted his superiority.

That experience has shaped his view of what Pogačar brings to a major one-day race.

“When Tadej is there, you have to think about how you are going to race against him,” Seixas said. “He is the king of the race.”

Without Pogačar, Seixas expects more riders to feel they have a genuine route to victory.

“I think the race would be more open,” he said. “But there are still a lot of great riders I will have to face.”

Remco Evenepoel is foremost among them in Seixas’ mind. The Belgian is expected to be one of the major contenders in Canada and already knows what it takes to win the rainbow jersey.

“Remco has a very interesting profile for these races,” Seixas said. “He is definitely one of the favourites, maybe even the top favourite. He has already been world champion, so he knows what it takes.”

The depth of opposition is unlikely to stop there. Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert are also expected to feature among the leading names at the Worlds, while Isaac Del Toro is another rider Seixas is likely to encounter during the Canadian racing block.

For Seixas, sharing the road with riders he spent years watching from home is still something he is adjusting to.

“I watched Van der Poel on television for five years,” he said. “It is a dream to race against him. The same goes for Remco.”

Seixas himself will arrive in Canada with a rapidly growing reputation.

His fourth place overall on his Tour de France debut confirmed his status as one of the leading young stage racers in the peloton, but his attention has now shifted away from three week racing and towards the explosive demands of the autumn classics and World Championships.

After the Tour, Seixas took two weeks away from structured training and spent time with friends and family before gradually returning to his normal routine.

He is now training at altitude in Les Arcs, where his programme has been adapted specifically for one-day racing. The volume remains high, but his focus has shifted towards VO2 max efforts rather than the sustained threshold work that formed a larger part of his Tour preparation.

“So far everything has gone well,” he said. “The spring and the Tour gave me a good base to build from and I feel very good on the bike.”

“I feel ready for the final racing block, with the World Championships and Il Lombardia as my biggest goals.”

One question hanging over Seixas is how much his first Tour de France has changed him physically.

Riders often speak of leaving a first Grand Tour with a bigger engine, but Seixas is reluctant to draw conclusions from training numbers alone.

“It is difficult to judge,” he said. “I can only really say when I perform in a race. That is where I want to be good, not just in training.”

What he can already say is that the Tour has not left him feeling drained heading into the final weeks of the season.

“I feel fresh, both physically and mentally.”

Whether that freshness can translate into a rainbow jersey challenge may depend partly on the recovery of the man who has dominated so many of cycling’s biggest races.