'I don't care about his age' - Seixas set to ride Rwanda Worlds
Paul Seixas won the first and probably last under-23 race of his career at the Tour de l'Avenir on Friday. As a WorldTour pro, the 18-year-old is ineligible for the under-23 category at the World Championships, but L'Equipe reports that he is likely to be selected for Thomas Voeckler's elite men's team.
Fresh off his victory at the Tour de l’Avenir, 18-year-old Paul Seixas is set to ride the elite men’s road race at the World Championships in Kigali next month.
L’Équipereported on Saturday that Seixas will be among the names in French coach Thomas Voeckler’s selection for the Rwanda Worlds on September 28. The youngster is also touted to ride the European Championships in Drôme-Ardèche the following week.
Although Seixas raced with the French under-23 team at the Tour de l’Avenir, the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale rider is ineligible to ride the under-23 Worlds as he rides for a WorldTour squad. The UCI has altered the eligibility rules for the under-23 races at the Worlds this year, with WorldTour and Pro Continental riders no longer permitted to compete in the category.
A year ago, Seixas won the junior time trial at the Zurich Worlds before placing seventh in the road race. He moved directly from the junior ranks to the WorldTour last winter, signing for Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
After Seixas placed a sparkling eighth at the Critérium du Dauphiné in June, Voeckler acknowledged that the neo-professional was among the riders under consideration for the Rwanda Worlds.
“For me, he’s a selectable rider, I don't care about his age,” Voeckler told L’Équipe in June. “The aim is to do what’s best for him and for the interests of the French team, without necessarily thinking in the short term. My job is also to work in consultation with the people around him.”
Voeckler has yet to name the French squad for the Worlds, but L’Équipe has reported that “barring illness or injury,” Seixas will feature in the selection, which is due to be announced in the coming days.
Seixas was initially expected to ride the Tour of Luxembourg and the Tour of Guangxi after his Tour de l’Avenir triumph, but Worlds selection would see a hasty rewriting of his programme. According to L’Équipe, he is likely to forgo Luxembourg, while he is now expected to ride the European Championships and Il Lombardia rather than make the trip to China in October.
Prior to the Tour de l’Avenir, Seixas had hinted to L’Equipe that a Monument debut at Il Lombardia was in his plans.
“There will also be other, more important goals coming up later,” Seixas said. “As for what comes next, I know what it’s going to be, but I’m waiting for the team to give me more information about how it will be announced and when.”
Seixas secured Tour de l’Avenir victory in dramatic fashion on Friday, snatching the yellow jersey at the last with an emphatic win in the uphill time trial to La Rosière.
