Speaking to Le Telegramme<\/a>, they described the emotion of seeing him reach this point. \u201cWe are proud of him, moved, stunned and impressed all at once,\u201d they said.<\/p>\nThat pride comes with a more difficult side. The Tour de France is brutal for riders, but it can be brutal for families too. Three weeks of crashes, stress, expectation and constant attention are now waiting for a teenager whose profile has grown at remarkable speed.<\/p>\n
For Annie, the fear is already part of watching him race. \u201cI\u2019m going to be ill for three weeks,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s going to ruin my month of July. When Paul races, I can\u2019t stay in front of the television. I\u2019m always afraid he\u2019ll fall. I go for a walk in the forest or say hello to the neighbour… but I quickly come back home to see where he is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claude does not look away from Seixas\u2019 races, but he admitted the experience is not calm. He said he is \u201cvery stressed\u201d, adding: \u201cSometimes I get chills.\u201d<\/p>\n
From family talent to national hope<\/p>\n
Seixas\u2019 Tour debut would attract attention under any circumstances. His age makes it bigger. His nationality makes it louder. France has waited a long time for a teenage rider with this level of expectation heading towards the Tour, and Seixas now finds himself carrying that conversation before he has even crossed the start line.<\/p>\n
For his grandparents, that sudden fame has brought its own unease. \u201cAll this excitement around him scares us as well, but there\u2019s nothing we can do about it,\u201d Claude said.<\/p>\n
There is a personal sadness inside the pride too. The bigger Seixas becomes to the public, the more his family have to share him with everyone else. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit too much. Somewhere, we feel a little as if he is slipping away from us, but he remains our Paul, our little Paul,\u201d Annie said.<\/p>\n
Seixas will arrive at the Tour as one of French cycling\u2019s most closely watched young riders in years. For those closest to him, though, July will be measured not only in results, but in the tension of watching a teenager step into the full glare of the sport\u2019s biggest race.<\/p>\n