![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/paul-seixas.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFrench phenom Paul Seixas embraces the Tour de France spotlight as American climber Matthew Riccitello earns his first Tour start.<\/p>\n
Listen to this articleListen<\/p>\n
Seixas starts the 2026 Tour de France with huge pressure and even bigger expectations. (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/p>\n
Updated June 30, 2026 03:32AM<\/p>\n
Paul Seixas<\/a> has spent the past year being told he\u2019s France\u2019s next Tour de France<\/a> winner.<\/p>\n Now comes the hard part.<\/p>\n The 19-year-old starts his first Tour carrying the biggest expectations of any French rider in decades, yet he\u2019s trying to keep his feet on the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel ready to give everything I have over these three weeks and achieve the best result possible,\u201d Seixas said. \u201cI am not setting myself a more specific goal because I am heading into the unknown, having never raced an event this long and demanding before.\u201d<\/p>\n Decathlon-CMA CGM is betting big on Seixas. At 19, he will lead its GC ambitions and become the youngest Tour starter since 1937.<\/p>\n The expectations are enormous. France hasn\u2019t produced a Tour winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985, and many believe Seixas is finally the rider who can change that.<\/p>\n Tadej Poga\u010dar and Jonas Vingegaard start Saturday as the big favorites, with a crowded group of podium contenders behind them.<\/p>\n No insiders expect Seixas to beat them this year. It\u2019s more about finding out how close he already is.<\/p>\n Crash recovery and Strava frenzy Seixas\u2019 dream season was nearly derailed in the Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes, where a hard crash forced him out just as he was gearing up for a showdown with Isaac del Toro.<\/p>\n Despite some severe cuts and abrasions \u2014 and a few sleepless nights for French fans \u2014 the injuries proved little more than a scare.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter my crash and withdrawal from the Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes, I was able to resume my preparation for the Tour de France almost as planned, with a few adjustments to some training sessions because of my injuries,\u201d Seixas said.<\/p>\n Since recovering, his public Strava account has been full of monster rides in the Alps, including a handful of KOMs that have reignited the buzz heading into Barcelona.<\/p>\n Despite all the hype, Seixas says he wants to enjoy the biggest race of his life.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope I can play an active role in the race, continue to improve, and enjoy the experience along the way,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is the race I have always dreamed of, and I know how fortunate I am to be taking part in it so early in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n Riccitello set for Tour debut Decathlon isn\u2019t putting all of its Tour chips on Seixas.<\/p>\n The team also brings Tour debutant Olav Kooij, giving the Dutch sprinter chances in the bunch sprints and perhaps easing some of the pressure on the teenager to deliver results on his own.<\/p>\n \u201cWe approach the Tour with ambition, but also with humility,\u201d team manager Dominique Serieys said. \u201cWe will target the general classification while also aiming to claim at least one stage victory whenever the opportunity arises.\u201d<\/p>\n The team brings some muscle\u00a0and brawn for the flats and sprints.<\/p>\n Tiesj Benoot is back from surgery and lines up for his 11th grand tour. Nicolas Prodhomme, Daan Hoole and Cees Bol pack experience to offset the rookies.<\/p>\n There\u2019s another reason to watch for American fans.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2281397458-720x480.jpg\"\/)
Seixas crashed out of the Auvergne-Rhones-Alpes in June. (Photo: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Matthew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2262450698-720x454.jpg\"\/)
Riccitello, shown here earlier this season with Seixas, will also make his Tour debut. (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n