Seixas like Mbappé, Macron's mission at the Tour de France

The 2026 Tour de France is more than just a sporting battle: it has also become a matter of state. Emmanuel Macron , President of the French Republic, followed stage 6 of the Grande Boucle with great attention, and at the finish line in Gavarnie-Gèdre, he didn't miss the opportunity to close in on Paul Seixas , the crystal-clear 19-year-old talent who is making all of France dream.

According to radio station RMC and confirmed by sources close to Cyclingnews , Macron explicitly urged Seixas to stay with a French team, during a conversation near the podium. This reminiscent of the controversial move the French president allegedly made a few years ago with Kylian Mbappé, convincing him to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain before his move to Real Madrid.

The stakes are enormous: France has been waiting for a Tour winner since 1985, when Bernard Hinault last raised his hands in the air. Seixas seems to have everything it takes to become the chosen one, but his contract with Decathlon CMA CGM expires in 2027, and there's no shortage of suitors: UAE Team Emirates, Visma-Lease a Bike, Netcompany-Ineos, and other top teams have already come forward to snatch him from the French cause.

"He's in a good team," Macron told French television, his tone reassuring but unequivocal. "I believe they can still achieve great things. What they've done is magnificent. Two French riders in the top ten, both extraordinary, managed the race excellently."

The President then added words of direct praise for Seixas: "After the Dauphiné, which had worried us a bit in recent days, he has redeemed himself greatly. I hope he wins one or more stages and maintains—or even improves—this excellent position in the general classification."

But the most sensational news comes from someone who knows a thing or two about champions: Tadej Pogačar himself reportedly whispered his predictions about the future of world cycling into the French President's ear. "Tadej very kindly told me: 'You'll see, Seixas will be next,'" Macron revealed. An investiture worth its weight in gold, coming from the Slovenian champion who has dominated cycling in recent years.