'I cracked' - Seixas misses Tour podium after failing to break Del Toro in Alpine finale
Paul Seixas attempted to break Isaac del Toro in a bid to claim the third step of the Tour de France podium, but the 19-year-old had to yield to his rival in the finale of the arduous stage 20 to Alpe d’Huez.
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The Frenchman will finish the Tour in fourth overall, 11:56 down on Tadej Pogacar and more than two minutes down on Del Toro, after he was distanced on the upper reaches of the Col de Sarenne.
“I felt really good at the start and on the Galibier, but then, towards the end, I cracked,” Seixas said, according to RMC Radio.
“That’s just how it is, it’s part of cycling. I’m obviously disappointed not to have been able to push harder for a podium place. But ok, fourth place, we’ll have to make do with that. There came a point where I reached my limits and I cracked. I tried to push harder than usual, and, in the end, I completely ran out of steam. We had nothing to lose.”
Seixas had set his Decathlon CMA CGM team work on the hors categorie climb of the Col de Sarenne as he looked to test Del Toro, who started the day just 24 seconds ahead of him in the overall standings.
The youngster would begin to betray signs of fatigue as the climb wore on, however, and he finished the stage in 10th place, losing a further 1:50 to Del Toro. The result means that Del Toro will also win the best young rider classification of the Tour, beating Seixas by 2:14 overall.
Seixas confessed that his initial feeling was one of disappointment at missing out on the podium and the white jersey. He has enjoyed an astonishing 2026 season, winning Itzulia Basque Country and Flèche Wallonne before becoming the youngster Tour participant since 1937.
“We went all out to try to break Del Toro. He was simply stronger today,” Seixas said.
“I’m sure that in a few days’ time, when I look back, I’ll feel proud of it. But that said, missing out on the podium is inevitably disappointing. I can’t say any more than that. My legs weren’t up to it, and neither was my head. That’s why I cracked afterwards. I’m proud of this Tour.”
Decathlon CMA CGM Julien Jurdie described Seixas’ performance in his debut Tour as “exceptional,” adding that he had exceeded expectations with his consistency across the three weeks.
“Finishing in the top five in his first Grand Tour is a source of great pride,” Jurdie said. “This stage was monstrous in terms of altitude gain, but despite everything we tried, with Nicolas Prodhomme and Matthew Riccitello to put pressure on Del Toro. We did the maximum, but unfortunately Paul couldn’t follow the rhythm.”
Although Seixas missed out on the Tour podium at the last, Jurdie insisted it had been a success. “Mission accomplished,” he said.
Result: Tour de France stage 20
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