Paul Seixas: Tour de France Winner 2031

[Netserk]

Vauquelin?

Alaphilippe won a Tour ITT, but I don't think either qualify as climber.

 

[ppanther92]

I didn't think he could TT. Looks quite complete as a rider.

 

[pastronef]

French forum Gruppetto and some French side of twitter with different reactions. Decathlon-(L'Oreal) getting too rich and losing its soul with the departure of Ag2r and Seixas getting too fast. I'm all for Seixas getting fast big time and Decathlon going super team (it'll take time though).
the FDJ romantics won't like it, but tbf they're never happy

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Alaphilippe won a Tour ITT, but I don't think either qualify as climber.

Pinot in 2016 and only 2016, then.

 

[TastyGroceries]

Pinot in 2016 and only 2016, then.

There's also Latour before he crashed himself and his carreer as well. Coppel and Péraud were also good at TT if we go back 10-15 years ago. But their carrier was shorter and/or they were lesser rider than Pinot.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I didn't think he could TT. Looks quite complete as a rider.

He's even the current Juniors TT WC!

 

[Red Rick]

French forum Gruppetto and some French side of twitter with different reactions. Decathlon-(L'Oreal) getting too rich and losing its soul with the departure of Ag2r and Seixas getting too fast. I'm all for Seixas getting fast big time and Decathlon going super team (it'll take time though).
the FDJ romantics won't like it, but tbf they're never happy

Reminds me of Wielerflits very consistently crying about the lack of Dutch leaders on Visma and longing back for the days it was just Dutch riders being awful and pointlessly being in breakaways.

 

[Berniece]

French forum Gruppetto and some French side of twitter with different reactions. Decathlon-(L'Oreal) getting too rich and losing its soul with the departure of Ag2r and Seixas getting too fast. I'm all for Seixas getting fast big time and Decathlon going super team (it'll take time though).
the FDJ romantics won't like it, but tbf they're never happy

If they rather be irrelevant they can support Arkea

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

If they rather be irrelevant they can support Arkea

Isn't Arkea dissolving after the season?

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Vauquelin?

I don’t really count him as a climber/GC hope, in the way for example Pinot, Bardet, Gaudu, Barguil were hyped when they were younger

 

[ppanther92]

He's even the current Juniors TT WC!

I found out in the meanwhile, haha. Ok, so classified him totally wrong.

 

[pastronef]

Reminds me of Wielerflits very consistently crying about the lack of Dutch leaders on Visma and longing back for the days it was just Dutch riders being awful and pointlessly being in breakaways.

well, Dekker wasn't bad at breakaways
yes, the fans ways, mine too eh, are strange and different. Jorgenson made we a Visma fan, WVA on the Finestre un-made me a WVA disliker

anyway, back to the French youngster! looking forward to see how he goes in the next 3 days

 

[Pozzovivo]

There's also Latour before he crashed himself and his carreer as well. Coppel and Péraud were also good at TT if we go back 10-15 years ago. But their carrier was shorter and/or they were lesser rider than Pinot.

Pierre de la tour is a legend but not exactly a GC rider? 13th at Tour best result. Mattia Cattaneo got 12th one year for reference.

 

[YavorD]

I wouldn't be too quick to hype.
We just recently saw Ayuso on a GT podium at 19, never improved much since. Uijtdebroeks constantly top 10 in WT stage races just turning 20, now seems like a random rider. etc, etc

But yes, Seixas is super impressive. It will be interesting to see who of him, Del Toro, (albelt "old"), Nordhagen, Widar and Torres (I didn't include Brennan and AWP as they are not GT riders) will be the next big names and who will come short.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I wouldn't be too quick to hype.
We just recently saw Ayuso on a GT podium at 19, never improved much since. Uijtdebroeks constantly top 10 in WT stage races just turning 20, now seems like a random rider. etc, etc

In their respective first years out of the juniors, Ayuso and Uijtdebroeks managed one top-10 in races above the .1 level between them. Seixas is up to 6 after yesterday. Barring Evenepoel, there quite simply has never been a better season by a future GC rider in this age bracket. And then you need to factor in that Evenepoel was born in January and Seixas in September, meaning Seixas still has until March (!) to get his first pro win at a younger age than Evenepoel did.

If anything, I don't think there's enough hype yet - the Ayuso hype after his first pro season was much bigger than this, yet Seixas has already shown much more than Ayuso did in that season.

Setting that aside, Uijtdebroeks has been chronically injured for over a year and therefore isn't really representative.

 

[Tonton]

A French climber that can TT? Can’t remember the last one.

Thibaut Pinot in '16, age 26. including the ITT in Romandie ahead of Dumourain with Froome 4th. the Dauphiné stage win vs. Bardet, the ITT French title.

Alaphilippe and Pinot in '19. TdF stage 13 ITT : winner and 7th. The next day 1-2 atop Le Tourmalet. There was a moment when there were two. The next day on Prat, Alaf' still finished 11th, Thibaut was flying.

In context, Paul Seixas is an 18 year-old rookie who is fearless and has always been a complete rider. It's amazing to see him mixing it up and holding his own vs. top-notch competition. Only 18. How much better can he become?

We don't know yet but he will be fun to watch. I will sheer for him again tomorrow, he will test his limits and learn so much no matter what: Allez Paul!

 

[Lorzenz08]

In their respective first years out of the juniors, Ayuso and Uijtdebroeks managed one top-10 in races above the .1 level between them. Seixas is up to 6 after yesterday. Barring Evenepoel, there quite simply has never been a better season by a future GC rider in this age bracket. And then you need to factor in that Evenepoel was born in January and Seixas in September, meaning Seixas still has until March (!) to get his first pro win at a younger age than Evenepoel did.

If anything, I don't think there's enough hype yet - the Ayuso hype after his first pro season was much bigger than this, yet Seixas has already shown much more than Ayuso did in that season.

Setting that aside, Uijtdebroeks has been chronically injured for over a year and therefore isn't really representative.

And if by end of next year Seixas doesnt podium a GT, he is worse than Ayuso ?

Come on... he is showing enormous potential, but lets not start the hype train too much.

The problem with hype is that it usually deflates as fast as it inflates

 

[Devil's Elbow]

And if by end of next year Seixas doesnt podium a GT, he is worse than Ayuso ?

Come on... he is showing enormous potential, but lets not start the hype train too much.

The problem with hype is that it usually deflates as fast as it inflates

The fact that there have been two posts in this topic in the past 48 hours, despite two really impressive climbing performances that have moved him into 6th on GC, proves to me that he isn't being talked about enough. No, that doesn't mean that he's nailed on to break the French Tour drought or anything, but placing expectations is not the only form of hype that exists.

 

[Brullnux]

I wouldn't be too quick to hype.
We just recently saw Ayuso on a GT podium at 19, never improved much since.

Ayuso has improved considerably as an all-round rider since 2022. I don't think it's right to judge him purely on GT performances given he had a bad calendar last year and this Giro was just bizarre and crash-filled. His other results show steady improvement 2022 to 2024, albeit with more of a plateau this past twelve months.

If Seixas makes the same improvements, then he'll be going into GTs as a favourite and winning one week races. Not bad.

 

[Tonton]

Not enough hype and reactions? I think that mou want to refrain from being overly optimistic. We feel (or at least I do) that what we see is too good to be true. No 18 year-old has ever done this. Hype can change very quickly and what happens next worries me.: "The New Hinault" thread, with the fudged title name poll like for Remco. I don't like the circus that comes with early success when you are French or Belgian. Too many amazing talents were wasted.

Paul is the New Seixas and vice-versa. Let's keep it at it. Bravo Paul!

Amazing performance today! It was a huge test, the kid was as cool as a cucumber, now he is 6th, and the biggest takeaway is that Armirail, Berthet, APP rallied behind the 18 year-old. They see something too...

 

[Cycling111]

In their respective first years out of the juniors, Ayuso and Uijtdebroeks managed one top-10 in races above the .1 level between them. Seixas is up to 6 after yesterday. Barring Evenepoel, there quite simply has never been a better season by a future GC rider in this age bracket. And then you need to factor in that Evenepoel was born in January and Seixas in September, meaning Seixas still has until March (!) to get his first pro win at a younger age than Evenepoel did.

If anything, I don't think there's enough hype yet - the Ayuso hype after his first pro season was much bigger than this, yet Seixas has already shown much more than Ayuso did in that season.

Setting that aside, Uijtdebroeks has been chronically injured for over a year and therefore isn't really representative.

Vingegaaed, at 22, was in the U23 category and finished the Tour de l'Avenir 68th against 19-20 years riders 🙄

Pidcock was ITT Junior World Champion

 

[Pozzovivo]

The fact that there have been two posts in this topic in the past 48 hours, despite two really impressive climbing performances that have moved him into 6th on GC, proves to me that he isn't being talked about enough. No, that doesn't mean that he's nailed on to break the French Tour drought or anything, but placing expectations is not the only form of hype that exists.

Maybe it’s just a lack of French voices on this forum, but I’ll do the hyping for you. Paul Seixas is the greatest teenage GC talent I’ve ever seen in professional cycling. Remco? Not even close. Pogacar? Not close either. Seixas is the full package already, as a lanky teenager.

I’m calling it now: Grand Tour podium within two years. Tour de France podium in three.
Pogacar podiumed the Vuelta at 20 and won the Tour at 21. Seixas should be right in that ballpark.

And personally? I can’t wait to finally see a serious French GC contender who isn’t just another “climbing romantic” with little real shot at winning. I’m also excited to see how all the French “anti-doping” accounts I’ve followed for years will suddenly pivot and act like they always believed these performances were humanly possible, suddenly asking, “Why accuse without evidence?” I’m here for all of it! ALLEZ.

Wishing Paul Seixas all the best in becoming the NEW HINAULT. Which he will.

 

[tobydawq]

Maybe it’s just a lack of French voices on this forum, but I’ll do the hyping for you. Paul Seixas is the greatest teenage GC talent I’ve ever seen in professional cycling. Remco? Not even close. Pogacar? Not close either. Seixas is the full package already, as a lanky teenager.

I’m calling it now: Grand Tour podium within two years. Tour de France podium in three.
Pogacar podiumed the Vuelta at 20 and won the Tour at 21. Seixas should be right in that ballpark.

And personally? I can’t wait to finally see a serious French GC contender who isn’t just another “climbing romantic” with little real shot at winning. I’m also excited to see how all the French “anti-doping” accounts I’ve followed for years will suddenly pivot and act like they always believed these performances were humanly possible, suddenly asking, “Why accuse without evidence?” I’m here for all of it! ALLEZ.

Wishing Paul Seixas all the best in becoming the NEW HINAULT. Which he will.

How was Remco not even close?

 

[Netserk]

How was Remco not even close?

As a teenager?

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey 2019 Stage 5 results

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey 2019 Stage 5 from Bursa to Kartepe was won by Felix Großschartner before Valerio Conti and Merhawi Kudus. Felix Großschartner was leading the general classification.

www.procyclingstats.com

Adriatica Ionica Race / Sulle Rotte della Serenissima 2019 Stage 2 results

Adriatica Ionica Race / Sulle Rotte della Serenissima 2019 Stage 2 from Palmanova to Lago di Misurina/Tre Cime di Lavaredo was won by Mark Padun before Dayer Quintana and Ben Hermans. Mark Padun was leading the general classification.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[ppanther92]

As a teenager?

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey 2019 Stage 5 results

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey 2019 Stage 5 from Bursa to Kartepe was won by Felix Großschartner before Valerio Conti and Merhawi Kudus. Felix Großschartner was leading the general classification.

www.procyclingstats.com

Adriatica Ionica Race / Sulle Rotte della Serenissima 2019 Stage 2 results

Adriatica Ionica Race / Sulle Rotte della Serenissima 2019 Stage 2 from Palmanova to Lago di Misurina/Tre Cime di Lavaredo was won by Mark Padun before Dayer Quintana and Ben Hermans. Mark Padun was leading the general classification.

www.procyclingstats.com

I tend to agree that the other two didn’t show it on a level as the Dauphine. But I wouldn’t say “not even close”. Pogi’s 4th in a strong Tour of Slovenia field was above Seixas Tour of the Alps, I would argue. And ok, Evenepoel didn’t have that impressive climbing performances as teenager but won Volta Algarve and Vuelta San Juan at 20 + 1 month.

Seixas should ride and win Avenir this year. Thats another thing Pogi checked off his list as a teen.

But in any case - the talent certainly is there.