La Flèche Wallonne 2026, 22nd April

[Extinction]

This. I literally can't tell what I am seeing with Seixas. I simply cannot judge at all just how good he is going to be for the rest of this year in races where he comes up against Pog, Vingegaard, Remco etc. I just don't feel confident trying to guess where his limits might be - he's just been so good so far!!

Yea, being only 19 he could have a drop in performance at some point later in the season. But not for LBL and then it's in the cards as they say.

 

[Netserk]

as it happened :

 

[Netserk]

notice that schmid started the climb on the wheel of skjelmose

 

[KZD]

A boring edition but to be fair, Flèche Wallone is one of the few races where its acceptable.

It is now clear that Seixas is the new alien in the cycling world. Yes, he is still unproven in Grand Tours but in one week stage races and hilly classics he has already proven that he is one of the best in the world. Today he was perfectly positioned at the bottom of the Mur d'Huy but the way he just rode everyone off his wheel was simply incredible.

Excellent podium results for Mauro Schmid (especially given that he was poorly positioned) and Ben Tulett and lots of Frenchmen in the top10 as it was predictable. Still, I expected a bit more from Lenny and Vauquelin, even though the latter could have been suffering a bit from his Amstel crash. Great 7th place for Ion confirming his good legs from Itzulia.

 

[Netserk]

and Vauquelin, even though the latter could have been suffering a bit from his Amstel crash.

and riding on laurances bike

 

[Taxus4a]

I wonder if the absentees could have done something against Seixas. Del Toro, maybe

If he is at his best of course. The same ayuso, it would have been a different race, but he had his chances. Del Toro fade at longer distances, and maybe Seixas as well. Seixas looked he gave his best. Some times Pogacar win more clearly and he looks he just wake up in the morning

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

I think Pidcock and Del Toro would have had a chance.

 

[yaco]

The person who said Schmid was nobody in the classics... The other day was crucial for his teammate's victory in Brabantse, and today he's on the podium.

Its the first time he has been given leadership in these races with the absence of Matthews. Anyway Bling is tracking to be back for the dauphine.

 

[Cookster15]

Today he was perfectly positioned at the bottom of the Mur d'Huy but the way [Seixas] just rode everyone off his wheel was simply incredible.

Yeh, just logged in to check the replays and that was my big takeaway.

Seixas seemed to be measuring his effort watching for anyone to attack in the first half of the climb. When he decided to open the throttle there was nothing anyone could do. Seixas was just way too strong for everyone else. 'Easy" win. The 19 year old phenomenon continues to deliver.

I was about to say the competition wasn't great but then I note Seixas time on Mur de Huy was the 2nd fastest ever - attacking off the front.

 

[Brullnux]

The person who said Schmid was nobody in the classics... The other day was crucial for his teammate's victory in Brabantse, and today he's on the podium.

He was decent in Amstel too. Definitely not amongst the strongest in the second group but a solid top ten

 

[Red Rick]

I was about to say the competition wasn't great but then I note Seixas time on Mur de Huy was the 2nd fastest ever - attacking off the front.

It was not. 4th fastest at best. And Mur de Huy climbing times are extremely circumstantial

 

[Extinction]

It was not. 4th fastest at best. And Mur de Huy climbing times are extremely circumstantial

Do you always have to be a Debbie Downer?

 

[Cookster15]

It was not. 4th fastest at best. And Mur de Huy climbing times are extremely circumstantial

You are right. My bad. But the 19 year old still beat Pogacar's best time set in 2023. I think how Seixas won was equally impressive as the time.

And most climb times are circumstantial - including wind, tactics, the preceding stage design etc. AdH as well.

 

[Red Rick]

You are right. My bad. But the 19 year old still beat Pogacar's best time set in 2023. I think how Seixas won was equally impressive as the time.

And most climb times are circumstantial - including wind, tactics, the preceding stage design etc. AdH as well.

Most climbs are circumstantial. But Mur de Huy is the only climb where you get weird stuff happening like Dylan Teuns having the same record (if I remember correctly) as Pogacar or Valverde's record still not being broken (Cherave I know).

 

[Cookster15]

Most climbs are circumstantial. But Mur de Huy is the only climb where you get weird stuff happening like Dylan Teuns having the same record (if I remember correctly) as Pogacar or Valverde's record still not being broken (Cherave I know).

Here are the best times I found. Dylan Teuns who beat Valverde and JA was 3 seconds slower than Seixas today.

Paul Seixas narrowly misses Mur de Huy record despite dominant Flèche Wallonne win

The 19-year-old French prodigy came within touching distance of history on the Mur de Huy, stopping the clock at 2:43, just shy of the long-standing…

www.domestiquecycling.com

 

[Taxus4a]

Very impressive Seixas is a very good rider with a lot of potential but he is not close to Tadej level. Big reality check for cycling fans this Sunday.

I think he is already close. It is amazing, but it is like that, But he is not at his level. The good think for Seixas is that he is ambitius but he is realistic about that,
We talk about Pogacar, meybe the goat, in a race wich suites him very well, at his pic.
Maybe Liege is too much long for Seixas, and maybe a Gran Tour, especially TdF is too long still as well, but he is now, at 19, one of the top riders of the World, in a generation really exceptional.

 

[tobydawq]

How the hell did Schmid get second from that starting position? Insane ride, maybe he is the best rider in the world after all.

 

[tobydawq]

The top 13 was from different teams. It was the Basque power couple of Cofidis who were the first two teammates across the line.

That can't be happening often in a non-sprint race. The 2021 Tour GC springs to mind where it was top 14.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The top 13 was from different teams. It was the Basque power couple of Cofidis who were the first two teammates across the line.

That can't be happening often in a non-sprint race. The 2021 Tour GC springs to mind where it was top 14.

Is it cheating to include Chrono des Nations? If not, there are a few there: the 2021 edition had 14 different teams in the top-14, the 2018 edition had 13 in the top-13, and there are probably more but I didn't bother to go back further.

 

[RobertCrawley]

Very impressive Seixas is a very good rider with a lot of potential but he is not close to Tadej level. Big reality check for cycling fans this Sunday.

I don't think we know how close he is. Let's wait to see how Seixas does when the road goes straight up in the Tour.

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

We will see.

Absolutely no chance in the tour of beating Pog or being close to him. No chance whatsoever.

 

[canina82]

Absolutely no chance in the tour of beating Pog or being close to him. No chance whatsoever.

I didn't say he will beat Pogacar. I said he is Pogacar's biggest threat to the Tour and LBL

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

I didn't say he will beat Pogacar. I said he is Pogacar's biggest threat to the Tour and LBL

Fast enough. He won’t beat Vingegaard either. No chance

 

[jmdirt]

Nice brawl up the wall!

 

[Oldman]

It was not. 4th fastest at best. And Mur de Huy climbing times are extremely circumstantial

The number of riders involved this late into a sprint doesn't usually mean it was exceptionally fast. Maybe the last 200m were critical but it was a clusterf*ck to move around in that mess.