Seixas overtakes world champion McNulty and closes 2026 with a smile at the Saitama Criterium.

Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) finished the 2026 season in style. The young Frenchman set the streets of Saitama, Japan, ablaze with the attack of world champion Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and won the Tour de France Saitama Criterium on Sunday.

After 14 of the 17 scheduled laps, the stars of the season-ending event broke away from the pack: Seixas, McNulty, former yellow jersey Torstein Træen (Uno-X Mobility) and Oscar Onley (Ineos Grenadiers), already fourth in the Tour de France.

McNulty chose to move on the penultimate lap of the 3.7km street circuit, which circles Shintoshin Station and the Saitama Super Arena. Seixas gradually caught up with him, then set off on his own and raised his arms to the sky at the finish line.

A week after finishing second behind McNulty's teammate Isaac del Toro in the Singapore Criterium, the Il Lombardia winner was able to close out his year with a "victory" that made the local fans happy.

"It was a great race. With three laps to go, we started attacking and formed a small group of four, then we worked together well for a lap," Seixas said.

"After that, Brandon attacked and was really strong. I tried to follow him, but I quickly realized I was alone in pursuit. I started to come back, I tried and tried, and with a lap to go, I felt I had something extra. I counterattacked and it was the right move. I finished in the time trial, just the way I like it."

"It's a great finish after last week's disappointing second place. I'm happy to finish like this, and it was great to discover a new country like Japan and race here."

Seixas has taken up Jonas Vingegaard 's baton as Saitama champion, entering a roll of honor that also includes Tadej Pogačar and the ambassador of the 2026 edition, Mark Cavendish .