19-Year-Old Seixas to Debut at 2026 Tour de France

Paul Seixas, the 19-year-old French cycling prodigy, will make his Grand Tour debut at the 2026 Tour de France, his Decathlon CMA CGM team confirmed on Monday.

The announcement caps a stellar spring campaign for Seixas, who has racked up victories at the Itzulia Basque Country stage race in April and La Flèche Wallonne, along with second-place finishes behind Tadej Pogacar at Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He also earned silver at the Volta ao Algarve in February, outclimbed veterans at the Faun-Ardèche Classic and secured a bronze medal at the 2025 European championships. The Tour runs from July 4 to 26, starting in Barcelona.

Seixas shared the news in a team-released social media video, surprising his grandparents at their home in Haute-Savoie. "I'm here to share some exciting news," he told them. "In July, I'll be racing... the Tour de France." His grandmother reacted with surprise, while his 85-year-old grandfather called himself "the happiest man in the world."

In a team statement, Seixas emphasized his ambitions. "It's been my childhood dream, something I've often imagined, and now it's just around the corner," he said. "I'm only 19 years old, but as I've said...