'I climbed at my own pace' - Seixas' measured approach keep Tour podium hopes alive

Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) remained upbeat after losing the Tour de France white jersey to Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) on stage 15, taking positives from a strong performance on a stage that carried special significance for the young Frenchman.

Seixas’ first day in white proved to be his last for now after Del Toro distanced the Frenchman on the summit finish atop Plateau de Solaison. The Mexican champion had previously worn the white jersey before conceding it on stage 10 to Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek).

The hors catégorie summit finish on Plateau de Solaison was not only one of the toughest climbs of the Tour, but also a familiar one for Seixas due to his family connection with the area, with the climb located close to his grandparents’ home.

In addition, the ascent featured in the finale of Stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the day when Seixas suffered a crash and spent much of the stage chasing before eventually finishing seventh behind Del Toro.

The 19-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM rider was forced to dig deep on the demanding climb when an upping in the pace from Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) dragged Del Toro and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) clear with 7.5km remaining.

Seixas showed maturity beyond his years after being distanced, taking control of the chase without panicking while Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Ayuso followed his wheel.

He remained smooth on the pedals, and his solid pace saw Ayuso distanced in the closing kilometres.

Up front, Evenepoel would go on to outsprint the UAE duo for the stage victory while  Seixas continued to battle valiantly to the finish. 

Ultimately, he ended fourth on the stage just in front of Lipowitz, 58 seconds behind Evenepoel and Pogacar, and 52 seconds behind Del Toro.

The result saw the Mexican champion leapfrog Seixas in the overall standings and the race for white by 25 seconds. However, with the withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) due to a crash, Seixas remains fourth overall.

Reflecting on his performance after the stage, Seixas admitted he may have been able to push harder at certain moments but was pleased with how he managed the climb.

“I climbed at my own pace. I might have been able to push harder at certain moments, but I hesitated too much. In the end, I still finished strong,” Seixas told France TV. “It was still a good climb, I’m still in the running for the overall, so that’s fine. Overall, I’m happy.”

Despite losing the white jersey, Seixas remained satisfied with his position in the race and believes he is still firmly in contention for the overall standings, as the longest race of his career so far reaches the end of week two.

“Overall, I’m happy. I think I put in a good performance. Of course, it wasn’t ideal with that puncture at the start. used up some energy reserves, and at this level, those are precious seconds I could have saved. It’s a shame, but that’s how it goes – you have to look on the bright side. I’ve managed to stay strong so far, and I’ve recovered well. I hope it goes just as well in the third week.”