Seixas is the moment of truth

Young French phenomenon Paul Seixas has said he wants to "fight for the general classification until the end" on his 2026 Tour de France debut, but the moment when that challenge will really take shape is Thursday's stage to Gavarnie-Gèdre , the first major high-mountain stage of this year's Grande Boucle.

A tough test awaits the Decathlon CMA CGM rider: the Pyrenean route includes the Col d'Aspin and the legendary Col du Tourmalet , climbs that Seixas already reconnoitered last month in preparation for one of the most eagerly awaited Tour debuts in decades.

At just 19 years old , he is the youngest rider to start the race in 89 years. Yet, after five frenetic stages run in scorching heat from Barcelona to Pau, he arrives at the mountain summit in 11th place in the general classification , a reasonable distance from his main rivals.

"Tomorrow is the first big stage for the general classification. Paul has reconnoitered the stage, so he knows what to expect," Decathlon CMA CGM sports director Julien Jurdie told Cyclism'Actu after the fifth stage, won in a sprint by his teammate Olav Kooij.

"We know it will be a very difficult moment and probably the turning point of this first week. We expect attacks or a frenetic pace imposed by Visma-Lease on Bike or UAE Team Emirates-XRG. It's the key moment of the first week: we'll have to be ready. There's already the Col d'Aspin before the Tourmalet, so it will be a demanding day. We've prepared ourselves mentally, and now we can't wait to see where Paul ranks compared to the top guys in the standings."

With Kooij taking some of the pressure off Seixas—who is considered France's great hope to end France's 45-year drought without a male Tour winner since Bernard Hinault last wore the yellow jersey—the young talent can approach the Tourmalet with greater confidence.

He will be joined by a top-class domestique: the strong American climber Matthew Riccitello , 24, who finished fifth in last year's Vuelta wearing the white jersey as best young rider. Riccitello also accompanied Seixas during the reconnaissance of the Tourmalet and the final climb of stage six.

"It was my first time on the Tourmalet and the Aspin. It's a legendary climb, long and tough, as everyone knows. I'm convinced that tomorrow will be a decisive day," Riccitello told reporters before the fifth stage in Lannemezan. "Paul is one of the favorites for the overall victory, so we have to race accordingly. I can't wait to tackle it: I feel fit and I'm sure I can be there to help him through the difficult moments."

"It's great, for my first Tour, to be part of such a strong team with so much attention on me. It's something special. There's definitely more stress, more pressure than usual, but it's also exhilarating."

Seixas has always presented this Tour as an adventure of discovery, despite expectations of being able to challenge Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who together have won the last six editions. But the young man remains grounded ahead of the first major climbs.

"A successful Tour would be one in which I can fight for the general classification until the end," Seixas told France TV after the fifth stage. "First of all, I want to finish it and see how my body responds over these three weeks. In terms of results, I haven't set myself a specific goal."

After an extraordinary spring—victories at the Itzulia Basque Country and the Flèche Wallonne, and second place behind Pogačar at the Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège—Thursday will be the real moment of truth. The cycling world and all of France are holding their breath: the designated heir to the great French tradition faces his most important test yet. For fantasy cycling , Seixas is a name to keep an eye on: if he can compete with the big names on the Tourmalet, his value could skyrocket further.