{"id":253585,"date":"2026-07-18T19:02:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T19:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/18\/paul-seixas-mania-has-begun-amid-french-fervour-the-great-home-hope-ignites-his-tour-de-france\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T19:02:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T19:02:43","slug":"paul-seixas-mania-has-begun-amid-french-fervour-the-great-home-hope-ignites-his-tour-de-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/18\/paul-seixas-mania-has-begun-amid-french-fervour-the-great-home-hope-ignites-his-tour-de-france\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Paul Seixas mania has begun&#8217; \u2013 Amid French fervour, the great home hope ignites his Tour de France"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-77ee91a8-82da-11f1-ac55-3fa2704b876a\">There was something in the air on the Markstein, amid the smoke rising from sausage-laden barbecues and the mist swirling to cleanse the mountainside after each blast of sudden, torrential rain. The crowds had cycled and hiked up in their thousands, and only a narrow strip of road was available amid the thick tunnel of fans on the final climb of the Col du Haag.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Seixas had ridden a quiet race up to this point, but this atmosphere simply demanded he roar into life.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-77ee91a8-82da-11f1-ac55-3fa2704b876a-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">And so he did. For the first real time in this <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de France<\/a>, the 19-year-old prodigy, the great French hope, truly connected with the home crowds and sent their pulses racing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] max-h-12 w-auto\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Tadej Poga\u010dar flew the nest once again, and it\u2019s clear that Seixas is not fighting for the yellow jersey, but the way he set about chasing down, and then sprinting away from, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) seemed to change the whole outlook of his race in a flash.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Seixas was outsprinted by Poga\u010dar\u2019s UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate, Isaac del Toro, who came back, hitched a ride, and snatched second place, but the Frenchman took third place on the day and climbed two places to fourth overall.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">He also grabbed the white jersey of best young rider from Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), which he says is not on his mind but it nevertheless carried some significance here. It meant that, for the first time, he stepped onto the podium at a Tour de France finish, looking out over the adoring fans, and also going through the post-stage podium and media protocols for the first of surely many times.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cIt\u2019s incredible, I\u2019m living a dream,\u201d Seixas said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-WAzShbhxSo9Qz36TJ7tLMP\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-WAzShbhxSo9Qz36TJ7tLMP slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cThe Tour is magnificently hard, let\u2019s say. It was a very difficult day, but I\u2019m starting to get used to that on the Tour \u2013 it\u2019s very tough. That\u2019s really what has struck me, but I\u2019ve trained hard for that, the team has worked hard for that. It\u2019s really a pleasure to have this white jersey and to be really in the race for the podium.\u201d<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Seixas was not getting too carried away, but the rest of France was.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Nestled among the crowds on the Markstein was the open-air France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions studio, where several former French pros waxed lyrical about what they\u2019d just seen.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cTo hell with Tadej Poga\u010dar today,\u201d yelled former yellow jersey wearer Thomas Voeckler, to great cheers from those gathered around the studio.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cWhat the fans experienced today, what Paul Seixas experienced today\u2026 there was a taste of it on the Tourmalet, but this was on another level.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cHe went after the wheel of Vingegaard and it was the fans that allowed him to do that. He has won races but he has never known that support that allows to go and search for those last metres. It\u2019s the first time he feels that, but absolutely not the last.\u201d<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">On the morning of <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-tadej-pogacars-late-attack-on-col-du-haag-nabs-solo-stage-14-win-as-isaac-del-toro-outsprints-paul-seixas-and-jonas-vingegaard-to-take-second\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-tadej-pogacars-late-attack-on-col-du-haag-nabs-solo-stage-14-win-as-isaac-del-toro-outsprints-paul-seixas-and-jonas-vingegaard-to-take-second\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-tadej-pogacars-late-attack-on-col-du-haag-nabs-solo-stage-14-win-as-isaac-del-toro-outsprints-paul-seixas-and-jonas-vingegaard-to-take-second\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stage 14<\/a>, we ran a story on <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/i-told-him-weve-got-to-tone-it-down-a-bit-luke-rowe-explains-why-were-seeing-a-more-cautious-and-conservative-paul-seixas-at-the-tour-de-france\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/i-told-him-weve-got-to-tone-it-down-a-bit-luke-rowe-explains-why-were-seeing-a-more-cautious-and-conservative-paul-seixas-at-the-tour-de-france\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/i-told-him-weve-got-to-tone-it-down-a-bit-luke-rowe-explains-why-were-seeing-a-more-cautious-and-conservative-paul-seixas-at-the-tour-de-france\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul Seixas and the quieter, more conservative approach<\/a> being taken by the sparkling 19-year-old in his debut Tour de France \u2013 and it\u2019s a good job we published it when we did, because by the end of the day it was somewhat out-dated.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Seixas had already been mightily impressive \u2013 let\u2019s make no mistake about that \u2013 but as his Decathlon CMA CGM director Luke Rowe pointed out, he has dialled back his more aggressive instincts in what is his first three-week race.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">There is still a long way to go, and not every day can be like this one, but it certainly felt like this was a crucial moment in the arc of Paul Seixas\u2019 debut Tour.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cNaturally, this gives me confidence for what\u2019s to come. The Tour is still long, the hardest part is yet to come, so I remain pragmatic. There\u2019s still a lot to do.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cThere was an unknown over the second and third weeks of racing. We\u2019re not yet in the third week so let\u2019s be careful. But I\u2019ve trained very hard for this. Recovery is the most important thing now but we\u2019ve worked a lot on that, we\u2019ve done some extremely hard training camps, so we know what the efforts are like and how to recover.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cFor now it\u2019s going well and if it can continue like this it would be great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">While Seixas is managing to keep his feet on the ground, he may well find them lifted off it if this atmosphere continues in what remains of this Tour.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cI think he\u2019s going to be carried by the whole of France,\u201d said Laurent Jalabert.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cSeixas mania has begun,\u201d responded Voeckler.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-77ee92b6-82da-11f1-8beb-49e942a5922e\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><em><strong>The world\u2019s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" rel=\"noopener\"><u><em><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/a><em\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/paul-seixas-mania-has-begun-amid-french-fervour-the-great-home-hope-ignites-his-tour-de-france\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There was something in the air on the Markstein, amid the smoke rising from sausage-laden barbecues and the mist swirling to cleanse the mountainside after each blast of sudden, torrential rain. The crowds had cycled and hiked up in their thousands, and only a narrow strip of road was available amid the thick tunnel of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":253586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-253585","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}