As Paul Seixas continues to move through the gears at an astonishing rate, the question over the possibility of a Tour de France debut this summer is only growing louder, and he has a voice of support from within his own team in the shape of Oliver Naesen.
The Tour was not on Seixas’ original schedule, but following a highly promising debut season in the professional ranks last year, the 19-year-old Frenchman has well and truly broken out in 2026.
He has seven wins to his name already, wiping the floor with a high-class field at Itzulia Basque Country earlier this month before taking out La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday to set up a blockbuster battle with Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, and Tom Pidcock at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.
Article continues below
“My opinion is just what it is – the team will decide ultimately – but I mean, this question about him maybe not being ready for it… If he’s not ready, then who is ready? That’s the question, you know. He’s 100% ready to go to the Tour,” Naesen told Cyclingnews.
Opinion has been divided on whether Seixas should go to the Tour. The race comes with the spotlight of the biggest cycling race in the world, one that’s especially bright for such a talent from the host country, which hasn’t celebrated a men’s home winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985.
Sean Kelly pleaded patience in a recent column for Cyclingnews, but Naesen doesn’t buy into the idea that the Vuelta a España might offer a gentler introduction to Grand Tour racing – in fact, he says, the opposite might be true.
“Imagine they don’t send him there, and he goes to, let’s say, the Vuelta, and he finishes maybe fifth or something,” Naesen said.
“Whereas, if this year he goes to the Tour, wins a stage, and finishes ninth on GC. We will all be like, ‘Oh, nice, man.’ So that is how I would do it if I were the boss, but yeah, I’m not the boss.”
Get unlimited access to our unrivalled 2026 Spring Classics coverage with a Cyclingnews subscription. We’ll bring you breaking news, reports, and analysis from some of the biggest races on the calendar, including Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Find out more.