One of the most anticipated debuts of a French rider at the Tour de France is fast approaching, with just eight more race days and less than a month separating Paul Seixas from his first Grand Départ in Barcelona in July 4.
The 19-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM rider is well aware of the expectation and pressure following him, which he has earned as the top teenage talent in the sport, and he's about to embark on his final "rehearsal" for the big event at the Tour-Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – what was the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Unlike previous years when all of the big Tour favourites would be at the start of the Dauphiné, Seixas is without reigning four-time champion Tadej Pogačar, or Jonas Vingegaard – the only rider to ever beat the Slovenian at the Tour, in 2022 and 2023.
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The young Frenchman said he would have preferred they were here, to test his legs against the very best in the sport, but he's trying to stay focused on the task at hand before he lines up against them finally in Barcelona.
"Of course, I would have liked them to be there. I like racing against them, even if I haven't done it much against Jonas yet. It's always a challenge to race against the best; it's an opportunity to improve alongside them," he said at a press conference on Saturday, as reported by DirectVelo.
Asked if he's dreamt of beating Pogačar, Seixas could only concede, "Dreaming about it, yes. But you have to be realistic. I have a lot of respect for him, of course, and humility too.
"And for Jonas as well, we mustn't forget him," he added. "They've held the top two spots in the Tour for six years. I'm here to try and compete against them, but until I'm actually there, I prefer not to imagine or dream about anything."
One of the biggest changes for Seixas at the Tour will be the swarm of media attention he garners, which has already followed him to his races in 2026 and the Dauphiné, but he seems to be showing maturity beyond his years and taking it all in his stride.
Speaking at the same busy press event ahead of stage 1, Seixas was asked directly how he was finding the fame and fervour since his rapid rise: "There are many of us attending this press conference. Does that stress you out?," asked one journalist, as reported by L'Equipe.
"Not particularly. I knew the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes would be a preview of the Tour de France, in terms of media coverage," replied Seixas, with several microphones fighting for space in front of him.
"Even though I can't yet imagine what the Tour will be like, I've already been told I'm going to be blown away. I'm preparing myself mentally, and it doesn't bother me; it's part of the game. That's what's important: learning in all aspects, on and off the bike.
"This week will be a similar experience, with all the media attention, managing things with the team... It's a bit of a rehearsal for the Tour de France, and that's really what interests me here."
He's been clocking in serious training mileage at Sierra Nevada in recent weeks, almost 50,000 metres of elevation gain and 2000 kilometres across 16 days, before also scorching sections of the Col du Tourmalet on a recon in the Pyrenees, but he isn't concerned about his energy levels.
"Hard work... It went very well personally. I don't know if there will be any negative effects; it was well managed by the team," he said.
"I'm coming off a relatively light week and I think I'll arrive feeling quite fresh. I wouldn't say I'm solely focused on winning this race. The most important thing, with the Tour in mind, will be to see how much I've improved my recovery capacity between each day.
"From the moment I made that announcement, I threw myself into training, and each passing stage brings me closer to the Tour. Naturally, there's a sense of anticipation."
Seixas is the heavy favourite, earned by his domination of Itzulia Basque Country, victory at La Flèche Wallonne, and runner-up finishes at Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but he isn't listening to the noise.
For him, it's a home race, but also one he wants to build on having finished eighth last season as an 18-year-old neo-pro. Since then, it's been quite the meteoric rise to the top.
"The favorite, I don’t know, but among the favorites, yes. There are some excellent riders at the start; it’s one of the biggest stage races of the year, very prestigious, and even more so for me since it’s a race in my region," said Seixas.
"I regularly ride these roads when I’m at my parents’ house; it’s a pleasure to be here. [The goal is to] not finish completely exhausted like last year. It's not easy in such a tough race, but recovery will be crucial."
His main rivals for the week will be Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), who both DNFed in the Basque Country.
Seixas noted how, although, "It's good to have rivalries, to see riders I beat in the Basque Country again," this week is a "clean slate".
