Paul Seixas: Tour de France Winner 2031

[Tonton]

Very solid performance from Paul today. Joao looks a bit undercooked, which can happen so early in the season. Still, Seixas piles up top finishes. Impressive. Can he win the whole thing?

As it was mentioned, no matter how good he is, Seixas may be unable to beat Pogacar and a new Pogacar may come up next. Then, he'll be the new Poupou, the answer to the OP will be "no", but legend status will be achieved.

Who knows? Incredible talent will always fuels hopes, hype. Sometimes it translates into success: for example, Tiger Woods was named SI Sportsman of the Year before winning his first major, which upset many. On the other hand, Jennifer Capriati: in the top-10 at age 14, she was the new Chris Evert for many. We know the story...the comeback was cool, tho'.

Bottom line: life can throw curve balls. So, wishing Paul Seixas good physical and mental health, my bet would be:

- More than one monument
- Tour 20%, Giro or Vuelta 50%, a Tour podium 90%, and I'm conservative here. Pinot ('19 win? We'll never know), had one podium, Bardet had two.
Paul has more talent than the two.

 

[Rob5091]

Just hope the young chap has some older wise heads around him.

 

[jakasspeech11]

That’s a really valid point. We often focus so much on the physical stats and race results that we forget how much the management and support network shape a young rider's career path. Having the right people to filter the hype and manage the calendar makes a massive difference in the long run.

 

[KZD]

Absolutely dominant performance in Faun Ardeche today, on the same roads where Seixas finished 3rd in the Europeans last year only behind Pogačar and Remco.

Its truly insane how strong Seixas is at the moment, I watch cycling for a long time and he is the strongest 19 year old that I have seen, even Remco wasn't this strong at least uphill (or downhill). I know that he is already in a WT team since last year so he might not have the same margin of improvement of other riders of the same age but I expect him to still significantly improve which is a scary prospect for his rivals given how good Seixas already is.

For now I just hope he remains healthy and keeps his focus because next Saturday will be a big one.

 

[Alexandre B.]

He is among them now.

 

[Pozzovivo]

That was impressive.

I just saw the most french take of all time: A fan of Seixas, wrote on x that he was disappointed that he has progressed "too quickly" so that he couldnt follow his development step by step over the years. Vive le france!

 

[YellowSocks]

That was impressive.

I just say the most french take of all time: A fan of Seixas, wrote on x that he was disappointed that he has progressed "too quickly" so that he couldnt follow his development step by step over the years. Vive le france!

You don't eat a wonderful cake in one bite.

 

[Tonton]

He is among them now.

Definitely. Paul Seixas has to be in the favorites or at the very least as a solid outsider of pretty much every race that he enters. Big win today. Again.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Apparently he beat the Saint-Romain-de-Lerps climbing record Pogacar set at the Euros last year. What the actual ***.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2027782169335140649

 

[Pozzovivo]

Definitely. Paul Seixas has to be in the favorites or at the very least as a solid outsider of pretty much every race that he enters. Big win today. Again.

Name a race he will do where he won't be "among the favorites"? Maybe the Tour - but still top 5 favorite for yellow...

 

[Cycling111]

I'd take him to the Vuelta. I think he has a chance of winning it there. In the Tour, I still see Pogacar and Vingegaard far superior; the last one in particular is being undervalued.

 

[Tim Cahill]

I agree with Hinault's advice, he should go to The Tour when he thinks he can win it.

Not this season, they won't listen though, it will be great to see for dramas sake, looking forward to Gr. Seixas

 

[Pozzovivo]

I'd take him to the Vuelta. I think he has a chance of winning it there. In the Tour, I still see Pogacar and Vingegaard far superior; the last one in particular is being undervalued.

From a stakeholder point of view: Your biggest asset should be present at the race with 80% of commercial value. Always. It's crazy how teams get away with different schedules than that. The sponors must really not understand. Seixas can podium probably. Top 5 likely. Must bring him with no Felix Gall there.

 

[Salvarani]

The smarter thing to do would have him do Vuelta this season. Looks like a decent chance he could podium or maybe even win it.

Then Tour next season.

But who knows, maybe he could podium Tour already. It is a risk with the pressure of being french and it being his first GT.

 

[Pozzovivo]

You don't eat a wonderful cake in one bite.

This cake may be around for a while. Expiration date: 31.12.2040.

 

[Pozzovivo]

The smarter thing to do would have him do Vuelta this season. Looks like a decent chance he could podium or maybe even win it.

Then Tour next season.

But who knows, maybe he could podium Tour already. It is a risk with the pressure of being french and it being his first GT.

The pressure is mainly within, and youngsters tend to care a lot less about pressure than older athletes. They just go out and do.

Surely, Mbappe shouldn't be on the french world cup winning team as a teenager. The pressure there is about 1000x cycling. It's fine.

 

[YellowSocks]

This cake may be around for a while. Expiration date: 31.12.2040.

The interview of his father in Val d'Enfer was frightening: Paul has secured one milestone, but he still has many more to reach and knows that the road ahead will be long.

So things could still indeed evolve between now and the expiration date.

 

[Cycling111]

From a stakeholder point of view: Your biggest asset should be present at the race with 80% of commercial value. Always. It's crazy how teams get away with different schedules than that. The sponors must really not understand. Seixas can podium probably. Top 5 likely. Must bring him with no Felix Gall there.

I understand that point of view with a more established rider. But winning the Vuelta at 20 should be valued more at this stage of his career than comercial things. He´ll go netx year, It's a one-year wait.

By the way, the Tour could be a tough blow for him or Del Toro when they see that the gap with Vingegaard in the Tour is still large. What would be a great result could be perceived as a failure. They also have to be careful about that.

And let's not forget that just a few weeks ago, Remco was going to challenge them in the Tour. Sport is a real crusher, sommetimes you have to think rationally with younger athletes. We've seen it with Remco in just one month.

 

[Salvarani]

The pressure is mainly within, and youngsters tend to care a lot less about pressure than older athletes. They just go out and do.

Surely, Mbappe shouldn't be on the french world cup winning team as a teenager. The pressure there is about 1000x cycling. It's fine.

Cool, I will take your word for it.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Demolition! How about changing the year in the title a bit?

 

[Red Rick]

It's early season, so difficult to know how this translates to bigger races later. Huge performance obviously, but likely Pogacar had worse conditions in the euro's.

But he's absolutely the age where you'd expect massive and super fast improvement to happen. None of that slow burn linear crap, it should be more logarhithmic.

 

[Salvarani]

Del Toro on the other hand should definitely do Tour this season.

He has Vuelta and 2nd place in the Giro under his belt.

 

[Netserk]

He is among them now.

them ? just him and pogi

 

[Salvarani]

It's early season, so difficult to know how this translates to bigger races later. Huge performance obviously, but likely Pogacar had worse conditions in the euro's.

But he's absolutely the age where you'd expect massive and super fast improvement to happen. None of that slow burn linear crap, it should be more logarhithmic.

They also did the big climb three times in the Euros.

And Seixas was there, finished pretty high... so he knew this route pretty well.

Doesnt take away from a great performance and that he dusted off a few good riders here at least.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

But he's absolutely the age where you'd expect massive and super fast improvement to happen. None of that slow burn linear crap, it should be more logarhithmic exponential.

Fixed it for you.