'I now feel like I belong in these races' - Seixas continues breakthrough run with seventh at Il Lombardia

“I felt maybe the legs weren’t quite as good as last week,” Seixas said at the finish to Cyclingpronet. “The distance and the pace were both really high, and I got a bit caught out on a descent. Everyone was fighting for position and I got boxed in just before the downhill. I started it too far back and had to make a big effort to get back on. Maybe that cost me later.”

Even after the setback, he managed to stay calm and ride his own rhythm. “Honestly, I still felt good on the final climb,” he explained. “Maybe not quite as strong as last week, but still really solid. I gave everything I had today. I’m a bit disappointed to have been dropped alone because it’s never easy to chase like that, but when the group behind caught me I managed to recover a bit and dig deep again for the final. Seventh, it’s really not bad. Seventh in a Monument, that means something.”

The result crowns a breakthrough season for Seixas, who sees steady improvement as both physical and mental. “I think I’ve taken a small step forward this year,” he said. “Physically, yes, but also mentally. I now feel like I belong in these races. That helps me hang on longer and believe in myself. It’s all the hard work from the whole season paying off.”

He was close to the group that fought for the podium, and that left him both proud and motivated. “I was not far from the guys playing for the podium,” he said. “It’s a nice way to end the season. I fought until the end.”

Gratitude was his final word. “The team did an incredible job today,” Seixas added. “They protected me, placed me perfectly, and helped me stay in position all day. I’m really proud of them. This result belongs to the whole team.”

For a rider still at the very start of his career, it was another sign that Paul Seixas is already right where he belongs.