{"id":1810789,"date":"2026-03-05T04:41:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T01:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1810789"},"modified":"2026-03-05T04:41:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T01:41:04","slug":"why-french-phenom-paul-seixas-is-a-new-kind-of-threat-to-tadej-pogacar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1810789","title":{"rendered":"Why French Phenom Paul Seixas is a New Kind of Threat to Tadej Poga\u010dar"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pogsixas.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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Andrew Hood<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Updated March 5, 2026 04:44AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Tadej Poga\u010dar debuts the 2026 season pretty much the same way he has the last couple of years, except there\u2019s a new gunslinger in town in the form of French phenom Paul Seixas.<\/p>\n

For Poga\u010dar, everything else is like a playback loop.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s coming off another history-making season, he ended 2025 ranked number one in the world, he\u2019ll start the year in the rainbow jersey, and he\u2019ll be flanked by his trusted UAE Emirates-XRG henchmen.<\/p>\n

And just like most seasons, he arrives at Strade Bianche as the five-star favorite, chasing what could be a record fourth victory on the white roads and another page in cycling history.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a new and intriguing plot line this weekend that, for the first time in this decade, nudges the narrative in a different direction.<\/p>\n

The presence of Seixas \u2014 the precocious, ambitious young Frenchman who is lighting up the hearts of France\u2019s long-suffering fans \u2014 represents something genuinely new since Poga\u010dar first staked his claim as one of cycling\u2019s all-time greats.<\/p>\n

Until now, Poga\u010dar has mostly taken down established rivals such as Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d or the fading remnants of the once-mighty Ineos Grenadiers train. Or he has methodically crushed souls and dispatched a rotating cast of peers and would-be usurpers to his throne.<\/p>\n

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With the noted exceptions of Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Vingegaard, the only two riders who are truly his peers (on select days).<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say that younger riders have not raised their hand to try to take on Pogi, from Juan Ayuso to Remco Evenepoel, but Seixas does represent a new existential threat the peloton hasn\u2019t yet seen in the Poga\u010dar era.<\/p>\n

Several strands around Seixas create a compelling wrinkle in the broader Pogi GOAT narrative.<\/p>\n

Whether it develops into a full-blown Game of Thrones melodrama remains to be seen, but for now, the storylines are building.<\/p>\n

And the first clues will come into focus this weekend at Strade Bianche. Let\u2019s dive in:<\/p>\n

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A generation apart<\/h2>\n
Seixas, right, is already a star at Decathlon.<\/span> (Photo: Luc Claessen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether Seixas and his \u201cchosen one\u201d status ever truly materialize into yellow jerseys and world titles is still years down the road.<\/p>\n

But what makes Seixas so intriguing is that he sits a full generation apart from Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n

The Slovenian turns 28 in September. Seixas celebrates his 20th birthday the same month.<\/p>\n

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That gap makes Seixas the first potential rival who is significantly younger than Pogi. And that matters when it comes to career trajectory.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar is widely seen as riding at the height of his powers. There might still be incremental gains to come, and barring a serious crash or injury, he should hold this level for several more years.<\/p>\n

Seixas, by contrast, has enormous room to grow during what could be Poga\u010dar\u2019s consolidation at the top of the sport.<\/p>\n

The stated goal this season for Seixas and Decathlon CMA CGM is to measure themselves against Peak Pog.<\/p>\n

You could add Isaac del Toro to that conversation. The Mexican prodigy is already better than most, but he fits safely inside the UAE system and won\u2019t break ranks to take the fight directly to Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n

Del Toro will wait his turn and only occasionally line up against his team leader at the worlds or the Olympics.<\/p>\n

Seixas is different.<\/p>\n

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He\u2019s the first rider on a rival team who is markedly younger, just as ambitious, and potentially the first of cycling\u2019s \u201cClass of 2025\u201d to truly disrupt the peloton\u2019s established order.<\/p>\n

Parallel tracks<\/h2>\n
\"European
Seixas shared the podium with the peloton\u2019s superstars at the 2025 European championships. <\/span> (Photo: Jean Catuffe\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second twist is that Seixas has already shown preternatural skills, which have not been lost on the French media.<\/p>\n

There are already several parallels in how the two riders burst onto the scene.<\/p>\n

Seixas scored his first pro victory atop Foia at the Volta ao Algarve last month, the same climb where Poga\u010dar claimed his first pro win, albeit in a second pro season as opposed to Pogi\u2019s first.<\/p>\n

Both riders won the Tour de l\u2019Avenir. Both were making big impressions while still teenagers.<\/p>\n

Seixas also made headlines with his victory at the Faun-Ard\u00e8che Classic last month, riding Matteo Jorgenson clean off his wheel while casually taking a drink, and then matching Poga\u010dar\u2019s time on the same climb used at last year\u2019s European championships.<\/p>\n

The French prodigy is pushing an eye-watering seven watts per kilogram. He lives up to the hype.<\/p>\n

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Seixas, of course, has yet to race a grand tour. That will likely come later this season, though it\u2019s still unclear whether he will debut at the Tour de France or the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar hit a grand tour podium in his Vuelta debut in 2019 in his rookie season and won the Tour in his first try in 2020, so he\u2019s already ahead in head-to-head stat crunch, but the common thread is straight up progression.<\/p>\n

Several direct clashes with Poga\u010dar this spring, starting Saturday at Strade Bianche, and continuing with Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge next month, will tell us a lot more.<\/p>\n

Winning attitude<\/h2>\n
\"Paul
Seixas edged Ayuso for the big win in the battle between cycling\u2019s rising stars. <\/span> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another key difference emerges in some of the things Seixas has said, comments that reveal both his character and a maturity beyond his years.<\/p>\n

To be clear, he is not pounding his chest and promising to beat Poga\u010dar this weekend, or even anytime soon. But an interview last week before Faun-Ard\u00e8che was telling.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere is impatience to give 100 percent. You have to win when everyone is there, it is the most important and rewarding for a racer who has a competitive spirit,\u201d he told Cyclismactu<\/em>. \u201cThe goal is not to take over when he (Poga\u010dar) is no longer there. The goal is to be able to beat him one day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those ambitions could be written off as youthful exuberance, but he is one of the first riders who\u2019s said that they don\u2019t want to just wait their turn. He wants to beat Poga\u010dar face-to-face.<\/p>\n

Seixas has the benefit of time that riders like Evenepoel will never have, simply because their best years coincide with peak Pog power.<\/p>\n

Other riders who\u2019ve dared to utter such ambitions have been routinely swatted back into place by an unbeatable Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n

In a time when most team tactics seem to be built around waiting for Poga\u010dar to have a bad day, at least Seixas is putting it out there.<\/p>\n

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Hype or real deal?<\/h2>\n
\"Seixas
Seixas is taking aim at world No. 1 Poga\u010dar. <\/span> (Photo: Jean Catuffe\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So for the first time since Poga\u010dar\u2019s unstoppable rise, he will face a much younger, equally ambitious, and seemingly blessed with similar talent.<\/p>\n

What unfolds this weekend could offer early clues about the next several seasons. Poga\u010dar isn\u2019t going anywhere, and he will be damn sure he doesn\u2019t lower his guard.<\/p>\n

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Neither Seixas nor Poga\u010dar will publicly admit that anything is brewing between them, and if the same vibe carries on, they\u2019ll be chummy buddies at the start and finish of any race.<\/p>\n

But between the drop of the flag and the finish tape, Pogi will want to crush everyone on Saturday. And if Seixas happens to be there, all the better.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar has often said he never races fueled by anger. But now he has a legacy to defend.<\/p>\n

The quandary for Poga\u010dar now is that if he doesn\u2019t crush every race he starts, tongues will start wagging.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s far too early to say whether Seixas is truly a Pog-slayer in waiting.<\/p>\n

What we do know is that Seixas looks like a rare young talent who refuses to bend the knee. And that\u2019s good for cycling.<\/p>\n

His rise also arrives at a useful moment for the men\u2019s peloton, because watching Poga\u010dar dismantle the same rivals year after year risks becoming predictable.<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s why Strade Bianche represents a fascinating new crossroads in the ongoing Poga\u010dar saga, and perhaps the opening chapter in one just beginning with Seixas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Andrew Hood<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Updated March 5, 2026 04:44AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/why-french-phenom-paul-seixas-is-a-new-kind-of-threat-to-tadej-pogacar\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pogsixas.jpg”] Andrew Hood Updated March 5, 2026 04:44AM Tadej Poga\u010dar debuts the 2026 season pretty much the same way he has the last couple of years, except there\u2019s a new gunslinger in town in the form of French phenom Paul Seixas. For Poga\u010dar, everything else is like a playback loop. He\u2019s coming off […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-1810789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1810789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1810789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1810789\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1810789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1810789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1810789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}