Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has dramatically elevated the hype around 19-year-old Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), describing the Frenchman as “already one of the five best riders in the world” following his breakout early-season campaign.
Prudhomme was speaking to RMC Sport after the conclusion of Paris-Nice (though Seixas did not race there), and said he hopes the 19-year-old Frenchman will start the Tour de France at the Grand Départ in Barcelona on July 4, but added that the decision rests with the rider and his team.
Prudhomme pointed to Seixas' victory at the Faun-Ardèche Classic on February 28 as the performance that shifted his assessment. "His 42km solo in Ardèche means I no longer see things quite the same way," Prudhomme said. "Because there, he is already, even if he is only 19 years old, one of the five best riders in the world."
The result backed up the claim. Seixas attacked on the Mur de Royes with 46km remaining, dropped Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) and rode solo for over 40km, finishing 1:48 clear of the chase group. During the effort, he equalled the Strava KOM on the Côte de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps previously set by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
Ardèche was the latest in a run of results that has placed Seixas alongside established WorldTour names this spring. At Strade Bianche on March 7, he was the only rider able to follow Pogačar's attack from 79km out, eventually finishing second. In February, he won a summit finish at the Volta ao Algarve ahead of Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) and João Almeida.
Prudhomme added, "We must protect him, we must polish this diamond, without a doubt, because he is a pure talent," he said, adding that Seixas' family and entourage "will know better than me what the right answer is."
Decathlon CMA CGM general manager Dominique Serieys has said a decision on whether Seixas races the Tour, the Vuelta a España, or no Grand Tour this year will be made after the Ardennes Classics in April.
Cover image credit: Tony Esnault
