Paul Seixas on the Tour de France: why a good part of the answer can be found this week in the Basque Country

The question that has been stirring the world of cycling for months is: Will Paul Seixas participate in the Tour de France this summer? The answer largely depends on his performance at the Tour of the Basque Country where the French prodigy returns to action starting this Monday.

One month after his sensational second place at the Strade Bianche, the 19-year-old from Lyon is back in the saddle for a six-stage race where his main rivals are expected to be two other young talents, Isaac Del Toro (22 years old) and Juan Ayuso (23 years old), as well as a veteran, Primoz Roglic.

This is an opportunity to enhance his record and end a 19-year drought for French cycling on a World Tour stage race. The last French winner was Christophe Moreau in 2007 at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

It’s also a chance to continue a brilliant start to the season that has fueled the buzz around the Decathlon CMA GCM climber, with a second place in the Tour of Algarve behind Ayuso and a solo victory in the Faun Ardèche Classic.

His results, the way he conquers them, and his maturity on the course have convinced many that Seixas could be the long-awaited successor to Bernard Hinault, the last French winner of the Tour de France in 1985. “He is the chosen one,” said Marc Madiot, president of the Groupama-FDJ team.

Naturally, the question of his potential participation in the Tour de France next summer has been raised, despite his young age. The debate has ignited discussions within the cycling community between those who believe it may be too early and that the young man should first gain experience in a Vuelta or a Giro, away from the voracious pressure of the media and the public, before entering the major event in July.

Dominique Serieys, the head of the Decathlon CMA-CGM team, expressed his support for seeing Seixas on the Tour in 2026 as early as last year.

The team has set a roadmap that will lead to a decision after the Flèche Wallonne on April 22, 2026, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, four days later. The Tour of the Basque Country plays a fundamental role in this decision-making process.

“After Liège, we will analyze all his races, especially the Basque Country, because it is a tough week-long race,” said Dominique Serieys to AFP at the last Paris-Nice, noting that the team will focus on Seixas’s recovery capacity.

This schedule remains relevant for Seixas, who, after a break, has been training in Nice in recent weeks.

“I feel ready and I will be surrounded by the best climbers on the team. There is a strong field which motivates me for my first World Tour stage race of the year,” explains the prodigy, who will be supported by Matthew Riccitello, Nicolas Prodhomme, and Aurélien Paret-Peintre this week.

The Basque Country will provide valuable insights with an individual time trial of 13.8 km on the first day, followed by five stages filled with ascents.

This will be an ideal playground for Seixas’s qualities as an excellent climber and former junior world champion in time trials, a combination essential for shining in the Tour de France, whether in 2026 or beyond.