Paul Seixas finishes fourth in Tour de France debut, eyes world championships in Montreal

A debut to remember

Paul Seixas, a 19-year-old from Lyon, finished fourth overall in the 2026 Tour de France on Sunday, 26 July, after three weeks of racing. He ended behind Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Isaac Del Toro, a result that marked the highest French general classification finish. Seixas, who is part of the Decathlon-CMA CGM team, said he had watched the same riders on television just twelve months earlier.

I think today Tadej Pogacar is on another planet but we train every day to fight against him and the others. I'm happy to be able to fight with those guys, last year I was watching them on TV.

The young rider acknowledged that his team had given everything in pursuit of a podium spot. He accepted the outcome with a blend of satisfaction and the perspective of a learner.

We tried everything to fight for the podium. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you always learn. I learned a lot and I'm happy with this experience.

Team boss on the move

Dominique Serieys, the head of Decathlon-CMA CGM, flew from Paris to Nice on the morning after the Tour finished. Even as the celebrations in the capital were still fresh, Serieys was already addressing the next steps for the team. Among the urgent items was a possible contract extension for Seixas, whose performance has accelerated talks about his long-term future with the squad.

Rest and a targeted return

Seixas confirmed after crossing the line on the Champs-Élysées that he would take a seven-week break from racing. He planned to spend time at home with friends, family and his girlfriend. The pause is part of a pre-planned recovery block after 43 days of racing so far in 2026, a heavier load than his entire previous season of 37 race days.

His competition schedule resumes overseas. The Grand Prix de Québec on 11 September will be his first race back, followed two days later by the Grand Prix de Montréal on 13 September. Both events serve as tune-ups for the main autumn target.

World championships in Montreal

The UCI Road World Championships will be held in Montreal on 27 September. Seixas's decision to start his campaign in Canada nine months before that date is no coincidence. The two Grands Prix give him a chance to regain racing rhythm and reconnoitre the North American roads ahead of the worlds. After the championships, he will close his season at the Tour of Lombardy on 10 October, looking to improve on the seventh place he earned there in his first participation last season.

A barren Tour for French riders

Seixas's fourth place came in an edition that saw no French stage winner. It was only the third time in Tour de France history that the host nation went winless across all stages. His result offered the home crowd the strongest French presence on the final general classification.