{"id":632263,"date":"2026-04-26T15:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T15:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/632263\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T15:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T15:35:10","slug":"thank-goodness-someone-like-seixas-can-put-pogacar-under-pressure-the-races-can-become-a-bit-boring-former-ineos-ace-welcomes-new-challengers-to-the-world-champion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/632263\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThank goodness someone like Seixas can put Pogacar under pressure… the races can become a bit boring\u201d \u2013 Former INEOS ace welcomes new challengers to the world champion"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge has often been defined by decisive solo moves in recent seasons, with Pogacar repeatedly proving capable of riding clear long before the finish.<\/p>\n

Castroviejo\u2019s view is that such displays, while impressive, risk removing the uncertainty that defines the sport. \u201cWhen someone attacks from 80 kilometres out and puts on a show, it becomes a monologue and the result feels predictable,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

That dynamic is particularly relevant heading into Li\u00e8ge, where the Slovenian once again starts as the clear favourite following a spring that has already seen him dominate across multiple terrains.<\/p>\n

Seixas adds a new dimension<\/p>\n

Into that landscape steps Seixas, whose rapid rise has shifted the pre-race narrative ahead of Sunday\u2019s Monument. For Castroviejo, the significance of that emergence lies not just in results, but in the potential to change how races unfold. \u201cI\u2019m surprised by how young Seixas is. He\u2019s only 19,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Frenchman\u2019s ability to follow, and potentially challenge, Pogacar on the decisive climbs could force a different kind of race, one less defined by a single long-range move and more by direct confrontation.<\/p>\n

\"Jonathan<\/p>\n

Castroviejo retired at the end of the 2025 season\u00a0<\/p>\n

A test of resistance at Li\u00e8ge<\/p>\n

Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, with its length and accumulation of climbing, remains one of the few races where even the strongest riders can be pushed to their limits. That is where Castroviejo sees the opportunity for a shift in the current pattern.<\/p>\n

If Seixas, or others, can remain in contention deep into the race, the decisive moments on climbs such as La Redoute or Roche-aux-Faucons may no longer be one-man showcases. Instead, they could become the battlegrounds that define the Monument.<\/p>\n

More than just one challenger<\/p>\n

While Seixas represents the most eye-catching new threat, the broader point raised is about depth.<\/p>\n

Pogacar\u2019s dominance has extended beyond individual rivals, shaping how entire races are ridden. \u201cSuch overwhelming dominance is not good for cycling,\u201d Castroviejo said. \u201cIt leads to boredom for the fans. It\u2019s also not good for the other teams. They have sponsors behind them and a lot of money at stake. They don\u2019t get exposure because everything is taken by one rider or one team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/p>\n

Paul Seixas during recon for Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2026<\/p>\n

Li\u00e8ge as a turning point?<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge therefore carries a narrative beyond the result itself. It is not just about whether Pogacar wins again, but about whether the race begins to shift back towards a more open and contested dynamic.<\/p>\n

With Seixas arriving in exceptional form and others also targeting the decisive climbs, the conditions may finally be in place for that change.<\/p>\n

For Castroviejo, that is exactly what the sport needs. A race where Pogacar is not simply riding away, but being forced to fight for it.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge has often been defined by decisive solo moves in recent seasons, with Pogacar repeatedly proving capable…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":632264,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,306174,257009,176605,85,6494],"class_list":["post-632263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cycling","tag-jonathan-castroviejo","tag-liege-bastogne-liege","tag-paul-seixas","tag-sports","tag-tadej-pogacar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}