'My age doesn't interest me, I just remember that I won' - Seixas becomes youngest Flèche Wallonne winner after commanding debut

Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) won La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday in his first participation, finishing three seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla) with Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike) rounding out the top three. Speaking at the finish to Cycling Pro Net, the 19-year-old described a race shaped by his team's sustained control and his own energy management rather than a single explosive moment on the Mur de Huy.

"It was an intense day with a lot of positioning over 100 kilometres. It was really rough," Seixas said. "The team managed the race masterfully, even if there were moments where we had to ease off to hold position and save ammunition."

Seixas became the youngest winner in the race's history, surpassing Philemon De Meersman, who won in 1936 at 21 years and 150 days. De Meersman was the first ever winner of the race. He dismissed the record without hesitation. "I only remember that I won," he said. "My age doesn't really interest me."

It wasn't an easy route to the win in Huy, though. Seixas and his Decathlon-CMA CGM team had planned to have at least two riders with him for the final kilometre with Léo Bisiaux taking him through the final kilometre and Jordan Labrosse to set up his attack with maybe one more to add some extra backup. But, the peloton and the frantic nature of the final Huy approach left Seixas alone.

Results

Herstal – Huy (Mur de Huy) • Apr 22 • 208.8km

Pos	Rider	Team	Time
🥇	Paul Seixas	DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM	4:35:29
🥈	Mauro Schmid	TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA	+03
🥉	Ben Tulett	TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+03
4	Benoit Cosnefroy	UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG	+03
5	Mattias Skjelmose Jennow Jensen	LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK	+08
6	Alex Baudin	EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST	+08
7	Ion Izaguirre Insausti	COFIDISCOFIDIS	+10
8	Lenny Sydney Martinez	BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS	+10
9	Romain Gregoire	GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED	+10
10	Andreas Lorentz Kron	UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY	+10
11	Christian Scaroni	XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM	+10
12	Filippo Zana	SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP	+10
13	Kévin Vauquelin	INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS	+19
14	Alex Aranburu Deva	COFIDISCOFIDIS	+21
15	Léo Bisiaux	DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM	+21
16	Clément Champoussin	XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM	+21
17	Adrien Maire	UNIBET ROSE ROCKETSUNIBET ROSE ROCKETS	+21
18	Pello Bilbao Lopez de Armentia	BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS	+24
19	Fernando Barcelo Aragon	CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGACAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA	+26
20	Steff Cras	SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP	+26
21	Dylan Teuns	COFIDISCOFIDIS	+26
22	Lennert van Eetvelt	LOTTO INTERMARCHÉLOTTO INTERMARCHÉ	+26
23	Mauri Vansevenant	SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP	+26
24	Alexandre Delettre	TOTALENERGIESTOTALENERGIES	+26
25	Ramses Debruyne	ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH	+26
26	Quinten Hermans	PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAMPINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM	+26
27	Andrea Vendrame	TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA	+26
28	Alex Molenaar	CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGACAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA	+26
29	Killian Verschuren	UNIBET ROSE ROCKETSUNIBET ROSE ROCKETS	+26
30	Bjoern Koerdt	TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+26
31	Cian Uijtdebroeks	MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM	+37
32	Senne Thonnon	TEAM FLANDERS - BALOISETEAM FLANDERS - BALOISE	+37
33	Jai Hindley	RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE	+37
34	Gal Glivar	ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH	+37
35	Davide Toneatti	XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM	+37
36	George Bennett	NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM	+37
37	Marcel Camprubi Pijuan	PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAMPINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM	+37
38	Junior Lecerf	SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP	+37
39	Milan Lanhove	TEAM FLANDERS - BALOISETEAM FLANDERS - BALOISE	+43
40	Jack Leonard Haig	INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS	+43
41	Haimar Etxeberria Ansalas	RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE	+47
42	Simone Velasco	XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM	+49
43	Joan Bou Company	CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGACAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA	+49
44	Tobias Halland Johannessen	UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY	+49
45	Alexy Faure Prost	TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+52
46	Rudy Molard	GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED	+54
47	Guillaume Martin Guyonnet	GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED	+58
48	Sam Maisonobe	COFIDISCOFIDIS	+58
49	Pau Marti Soriano	NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM	+1:02
50	Menno Huising	TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+1:05
51	Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda	RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE	+1:07
52	Diego Ulissi	XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM	+1:10
53	Francesco Busatto	ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH	+1:10
54	Krists Neilands	NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM	+1:14
55	Mikkel Honoré	EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST	+1:20
56	Lorenzo Rota	LOTTO INTERMARCHÉLOTTO INTERMARCHÉ	+1:20
57	Odd Christian Eiking	UNIBET ROSE ROCKETSUNIBET ROSE ROCKETS	+1:23
58	Ewen Costiou	GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED	+1:25
59	Raul Garcia Pierna	MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM	+1:33
60	Dorian Godon	INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS	+1:35
61	Lorenzo Germani	GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED	+1:35
62	Marco Frigo	NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM	+1:40
63	Jordan Labrosse	DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM	+1:42
64	Paul Lapeira	DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM	+1:42
65	Pavel Sivakov	UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG	+1:42
66	Matej Mohoric	BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS	+2:01
67	Edoardo Zambanini	BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS	+2:01
68	Albert Philipsen	LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK	+2:01
69	Bob Jungels	INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS	+2:01
70	Joel Nicolau Beltran	CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGACAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA	+2:08
71	Jan Tratnik	RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE	+2:18
72	Michiel Lambrecht	TEAM FLANDERS - BALOISETEAM FLANDERS - BALOISE	+2:27
73	Joseba Lopez Cuesta	CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGACAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA	+2:33
74	Quentin Pacher	GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED	+2:33
75	Eduard Prades Reverter	CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGACAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA	+2:41
76	Natnael Tesfatsion	MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM	+2:41
77	Ivan Romeo Abad	MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM	+2:41
78	Michael Shea Leonard	EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST	+2:41
79	Matteo Vercher	TOTALENERGIESTOTALENERGIES	+2:41
80	Alan Hatherly	TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA	+2:41
81	Carlos Verona Quintanilla	LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK	+2:50
82	Andreas Leknessund	UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY	+2:58
83	Brady Gilmore	NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM	+3:03
84	Georg Zimmermann	LOTTO INTERMARCHÉLOTTO INTERMARCHÉ	+3:07
85	Fabian Weiss	TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM	+3:13
86	Asbjørn Hellemose	TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA	+3:13
87	Jan Maas	COFIDISCOFIDIS	+3:13
88	Mathis le Berre	TOTALENERGIESTOTALENERGIES	+3:13
89	Owen Geleijn	UNIBET ROSE ROCKETSUNIBET ROSE ROCKETS	+3:13
90	Alessandro Covi	TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA	+3:19
91	Siebe Deweirdt	TEAM FLANDERS - BALOISETEAM FLANDERS - BALOISE	+3:22
92	Pavel Novák	MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM	+3:22
93	Frank van den Broek	TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+3:28
94	Nicola Conci	XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM	+3:38
95	Paul Ourselin	COFIDISCOFIDIS	+3:41
96	Filippo Fiorelli	TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+3:45
97	Louis Vervaeke	SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP	+3:48
98	Anthon Charmig	UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY	+3:57
99	Matthew Dinham	TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+4:03
100	Jakub Otruba	CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGACAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA	+4:12
101	Bauke Mollema	LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK	+4:14
102	Valentin Paret Peintre	SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP	+4:16
103	Lennert Belmans	ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH	+4:20
104	Anders Foldager	TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA	+4:39
105	Sjoerd Bax	PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAMPINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM	+4:56
106	Julien Bernard	LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK	+4:56
107	Harm Vanhoucke	PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAMPINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM	+4:56
108	Lukas Nerurkar	EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST	+4:56
109	Jørgen Nordhagen	TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+5:08
110	Antoine L'Hote	DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM	+5:17
111	Anton Schiffer	TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+5:31
112	Robin Donzé	TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM	+5:40
113	Jacopo Mosca	LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK	+7:07
114	Sergio Meris	UNIBET ROSE ROCKETSUNIBET ROSE ROCKETS	+7:07
115	Roland Thalmann	TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM	+7:15
116	Robin Orins	LOTTO INTERMARCHÉLOTTO INTERMARCHÉ	+7:22
117	Anders Halland Johannessen	UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY	+7:44
118	Jardi Christiaan van der Lee	EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST	+8:13
119	Warren Barguil	TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+8:48
120	Juan Martinez Huertas	TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+8:54
121	Yael Joalland	COFIDISCOFIDIS	+8:58
122	Fran Miholjević	BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS	+9:20
123	Alan Jousseaume	TOTALENERGIESTOTALENERGIES	+9:23
124	Yannis Voisard	TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM	+9:23
125	Gil Gelders	SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP	+9:27
126	Luca van Boven	LOTTO INTERMARCHÉLOTTO INTERMARCHÉ	+10:03
127	Patrick Konrad	LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK	+10:10
128	James Shaw	EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST	+12:06
129	Axel Laurance	INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS	+12:06
130	Leander van Hautegem	TEAM FLANDERS - BALOISETEAM FLANDERS - BALOISE	+12:56
131	Clement Venturini	UNIBET ROSE ROCKETSUNIBET ROSE ROCKETS	+13:41

"I found myself isolated quite quickly because there was an enormous fight for position at the foot of the climb," Seixas said. "It was really rough. Jordan still managed to do his job despite everything, and the others had worked all day. They'd had to do extra work on the side, so it wasn't easy for them to still be there in the finale."

With that plan dashed, Seixas focused on what he needed to do to be well placed when it mattered. He made sure to set his own tempo on the climb to not allow any stop-start tactics from his rivals. "I managed to impose my rhythm," he said. "That's what I wanted to do, not let anyone impose dead moments, to avoid a finish that was too punchy. In the end I made the difference by force."

The French wonder did his first kick to split the race up with just under 300 metres to go on the climb after riding side by side with Tulett, Benoit Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Schmid. The pace change immediately dropped several riders, leaving a select few in his wheel. He then kicked again with under 200 metres to go and that is when he finally gapped the rest and solo to victory. But, if it wasn't for his team he wouldn't be in that position. "It's a real joy to win for the team," he said. "Winning a race is never easy. Of this calibre, it's exceptional."

Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Pogačar question

Seixas has been one of the most dominant riders of the spring so far with only two riders beating him. The injured Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) and the man that waits for him on Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). In Liège he will also face Amstel Gold Race winner, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).

Both chose to opt out of racing Flèche Wallonne, leaving Seixas as the stand out favourite on Wednesday. Sunday's Monument, however, is a different kettle of fish with almost another 60km more on Flèche Wallonne's 200km. The challenge of the extra distance and two of the sport's biggest names will ask new questions on the biggest stage.

"I think Sunday is going to be very different," Seixas said. "The finale is nothing like it (Flèche Wallonne), the race is nothing like it, longer, and maybe with efforts that are a touch longer. We'll see how it goes. It's good to have won today, but you have to move on now."

But is the teenager confident going into Sunday? Measured is probably the better word. "I'm really looking forward to racing against those guys," he said of Pogačar and Evenepoel. "They're greats of the sport and they are extremely strong. It's going to be a different race. We'll fight to the end."

The last time Seixas faced Pogačar was at Strade Bianche where the Frenchman put on a phenomenal display to finish second behind the all conquering world champion in Siena. Beating Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in the process. Seixas finished exactly a minute behind Pogačar that day. He will be hoping to be much closer on Sunday.

"Last year I was watching this race on television," said Seixas. "To win it on my first participation is a real pleasure. But now it's time to move on."

Cover image credit: Jennifer Lindini