Teenage sensation Paul Seixas confirmed to ride in Tour de France 2026 - 'I'll have ambitious goals'

It will be a Grand Tour debut for the Decathlon-CMA CGM rider, who will hope to challenge Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.

The teenager has emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in cycling, winning the Itzulia Basque Country stage race and La Fleche Wallonne last month.

"I'm here to share some exciting news," Seixas said in a video posted on social media, filmed at his grandparents' house in France. "Next July, I'll be racing."

In a statement on his team's website, Seixas said: ”I’m truly thrilled to announce that I’ll be competing in the upcoming Tour de France. It’s been my childhood dream, something I’ve often imagined, and now it’s just around the corner.

"I’m only 19 years old but, as I’ve said before, age is neither a barrier nor an excuse. This decision, made in consultation with the team management, was carefully considered and developed collectively over the past few days.

"My results since the start of the season have given me a lot of confidence; I feel ready and I’ll have ambitious goals. It is not in my nature, nor is it my conception of cycling, to compete in the Tour France with the sole aim of learning the ropes; I will be aiming for the best possible finish.

"Before that, I will also compete in the Tour [Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes] in June, on roads I know very well and in a format that will serve as the ideal preparation for my first Grand Tour.”

While Pogacar will again be the favourite to win the Tour de France, Seixas has shown already that he can compete with the Slovenian.

He finished second to Pogacar at both Strade Bianche and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Decathlon's chief executive, Dominique Serieys, said: ”We had planned to meet after the Ardennes classics to decide on the next steps for Paul Seixas’s schedule. We needed to take the time to thoroughly analyze all the data and also discuss things with Paul and his team.

"He’s had a remarkable start to the season and is already among the riders best riders. And the best riders are destined to compete in the biggest race on the calendar: the Tour de France.

"With great humility and a focus on learning, Paul will start in Barcelona with genuine ambitions to achieve the best possible result in the general classification.”

Spanish former cyclist Alberto Contador last week gave his assessment of Seixas' chances at the Tour de France.

"If he ends up going to the Tour, he shouldn't be expected to win; at most, he could be expected to reach the podium," Contador said. "In three-week races, he remains an unknown quantity, despite his great results so far. 

"We have to see how he recovers in three weeks. He's not yet fully developed physically; he's a junior, he's 19 years old."

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