Cyclingflash
Paul Seixas (19) opens pro palmares: "My first goal is achieved"

Paul Seixas (19) opens pro palmares: "My first goal is achieved"

Paul Seixas has once again shown that he has tremendous potential. The just 19-year-old Frenchman defeated big names like Juan Ayuso, Joao Almeida, and Oscar Onley in the first mountain stage of the Volta ao Algarve on Thursday. "This is perfect," he said in the post-race flash interview.

"This is my first pro win, here in Portugal. This really means something," said the Decathlon CMA CGM standout. "I’ve already achieved my first goal: winning a race. Winning today is fantastic."

Progress
In front of our camera, Seixas said it was an 'incredible feeling' when it became clear that only Ayuso and Almeida could respond to his attack. "I feel like I’ve made progress compared to last year. I already feel in good shape. We did everything possible to start this season as well-prepared as possible and to win some races. I’ve taken a step forward, but I already knew that before the race. I was curious to see how it would turn out."

What was the decisive moment? "At the start of the final real climb, in a corner, things got a bit hectic. There was a crash involving a UAE rider," he refers to Brandon McNulty. "After that, I followed the attacks. Then I tried to push the pace. But Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida didn’t want to work with me. Or at least not much. I was afraid we’d get caught again by the other riders."

Indeed, Oscar Onley and Seixas’ teammate Matthew Riccitello bridged up to the leading trio. "Fortunately, it was just the two of them, and one of them was my teammate. So that was perfect for me. Matthew did an amazing job driving everyone to their limits. Joao attacked a lot, but I knew I had to wait for my moment. I had to save as much energy as possible."

"I launched a strong sprint, even though I was a bit confused by all the corners in the finale. I also used a gear that was much too heavy, but in the end, I managed to take the win, so I’m very happy. For myself and for the team. My teammates did a fantastic job today. It’s a great reward for the hard work."