This page covers Paul Seixas's 2026 season race-by-race, including results, roles, key moments, and incidents for each race. Each entry is a spoiler for the corresponding race. Read no further if you intend to watch any of them unspoiled.
Paul Seixas was the spring's outsider story until April made it impossible to keep calling him one. Nineteen years old, French, signed to Decathlon CMA CGM, Tour de l'Avenir 2025 champion — the pre-season label was 'climbing phenom on debut WorldTour calendar.' By the end of April it was: Strade Bianche second to Pogačar, Itzulia Basque Country overall with three stage wins, Flèche Wallonne first attempt first victory at the Mur de Huy, Liège-Bastogne-Liège second to Pogačar. Two Monument-tier podiums, a one-day Classics win, a WorldTour stage race overall, all inside seven weeks.
The Strade ride established him: held Pogačar's Monte Sante Marie attack, sat third in Siena behind only Pogačar and Del Toro — a UAE 1-3 with him in the middle. Itzulia put him in the leader's jersey from a Stage 1 ITT win and never let him out, three stage wins by week's end. Flèche Wallonne was the surgical Mur de Huy ride: held the wheel through the opening kilometre, attacked at the canonical 200 m mark, opened a clear gap as the gradient bit. Then Liège: only rider to follow Pogačar's lethal Côte de la Redoute acceleration, dropped on the Roche-aux-Faucons second move, held alone to the line at +45 for the podium.
The announced 2026 program from here: Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (June), Tour de France debut (July), Québec / Montréal in September, Il Lombardia in October. Decathlon's leadership question for the next five years answered itself before the Tour roster was set.
Paying for his stage 7 crash and marathon chase, Seixas was dropped on the Col du Pré and abandoned early on the Montée de Bisanne. A disappointing end for the 19-year-old after he had ridden into the GC top six, but a week that still showed his class against the sport's best.
Seixas crashed after the descent of the Côte de Saint-Maurice-de-Rotherens and faced a brutal ~70 km chase, his deficit reaching four minutes before his Decathlon teammates dragged him back to the bunch ahead of the final climb. He then limited his loss to +1:21 on the day — a remarkable salvage job — to sit sixth overall at +1:54. The effort, however, took its toll.
With Decathlon left to chase the front split alone, Seixas tried to limit the damage by attacking the favourites' group on the final climb — only del Toro and Jorgenson could follow before Jorgenson cracked. He came in alongside del Toro, +3:15 down, sitting seventh overall at +3:06. A hard day for the 19-year-old, who shouldered the chase his team could not complete.
The 19-year-old was Decathlon's GC card and rode into the top six, attacking the favourites on stage 6. A stage-7 crash and 70 km chase, then an abandon on stage 8, ended his race — but the week confirmed his exceptional ceiling.
The 19-year-old French climber who's been the outsider of every preview now has Monument podiums at Strade Bianche AND Liège, both second to Pogačar. Followed the Redoute acceleration cleanly; couldn't match the second move on Roche-aux-Faucons but held a 45-second deficit alone to the line. This isn't development any more.
Won his first Flèche Wallonne in his first attempt, at 19. Held the wheel through the opening kilometre of the Mur, attacked at exactly the canonical 200 m mark, opened a clear gap as the gradient bit. Said post-race: 'They gave it their all, 200%, and rode the whole time.' The fourth major-tier win of the spring after Itzulia GC, three Itzulia stages. Two more days of recovery before Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he'd take second to Pogačar.
Third stage win + overall. The Itzulia overall and stage-win trifecta is the week the Seixas-as-future-Tour-leader conversation begins in earnest at Decathlon.
Second stage win in two days. The pattern: every GC favourite at +1:23 on the same time. Decathlon's debut WorldTour stage race lead becomes a route to outright victory.
Third GC-relevant performance of the spring after Strade Bianche second. Took the Stage 1 ITT in Bilbao by 23 seconds over Vauquelin, gaining time on every billed GC favourite. The first leader's jersey of his career at WorldTour level.
Third major GC-relevant performance of the spring after Strade Bianche second. Took the Stage 1 ITT in Bilbao by 23 seconds — first WorldTour stage race leader's jersey of his career.
Strade debut, finished second to Pogačar at 19. Held the Monte Sante Marie attack, held the second move for a few kilometres, then settled in to ride a minute back alone. The week's biggest 'who is that?' result and the start of his Monument spring.
Riccitello launched Seixas inside the final kilometre, but when no gaps appeared the 19-year-old took third on the stage and held second overall, also winning the white young-rider jersey. A breakthrough week confirming Seixas as one of the sport's brightest GC talents.
Seixas turned in a composed time trial for a 19-year-old, fourth on the stage and losing only a handful of seconds to Ayuso. He held second overall and kept the GC alive for the final day.
At 19, Seixas outsprinted Ayuso for the stage win atop Fóia, a marquee result for the Decathlon prodigy and confirmation that he could climb with the best GC men in the race. He sat second overall after the stage and would defend it all the way to a runner-up finish in Faro, also sealing the white young-rider jersey.
At 19, Seixas finished second overall and won the young-rider classification — a breakthrough Algarve. He won the Fóia summit sprint, time-trialled well to limit losses, and was third on the final stage at Malhão, holding second from stage 2 to the finish. Confirmation of a major GC talent.