Cyclingflash
Paul Seixas maintains top form and blasts minutes ahead in Ardèche Classic against Christen and Jorgenson

Paul Seixas maintains top form and blasts minutes ahead in Ardèche Classic against Christen and Jorgenson

Paul Seixas delivered a very impressive victory on Saturday at the Faun-Ardèche Classic 2026. The French rising star from Decathlon CMA CGM managed a solo win after a move of about 40 kilometers. Just under two weeks after his first win at the Volta ao Algarve, he rode nearly two minutes clear of a group including Jan Christen (second), Lenny Martinez (third), and Matteo Jorgenson (fourth).

Many eyes in the cycling world this weekend are on the Flemish Opening Weekend, but simultaneously, a hilly two-day race is taking place in Southern France. The Ardèche Classic and Drôme Classic offer climbers and hill specialists their own version of the 'Opening Weekend.'

The organizers of the Ardèche Classic had no complaints about the start list, as with Paul Seixas, Mattias Skjelmose, Matteo Jorgenson, and many other strong riders, there was plenty of enthusiasm for this semi-mountain race. The riders faced an especially challenging course with numerous climbs and therefore significant elevation gain.

Early breakaway proves futile, Seixas breaks clear 
Eight riders were undeterred by the many climbs and launched an early attack. Alexy Faure Prost (Picnic PostNL), Geoffrey Bouchard (TotalEnergies), and Laurens Huys (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur) were among the more recognizable names in the breakaway, but this move didn’t last. Once on the slopes of the Mur de Royes (6.8 km at 7.3%), the break was done for, and it was up to the better climbers to make the difference.

That happened on this tough climb: Jorgenson and Seixas shook things up and built a solid lead. However, for Seixas, that was not enough. The French super talent clearly felt strong legs, dropped his American companion ruthlessly, and started an ambitious solo of just over forty kilometers.

Counterattack by Jorgenson, Christen, and Martinez fails
First chaser Jorgenson was soon joined by Jan Christen and Lenny Martinez, but this did not spark an inspired pursuit of leader Seixas. The trio worked together but were held at more than a minute behind Seixas in the final 30 kilometers.

At the start of the last local lap of 19 kilometers, featuring the Mur de Costebelle once again (300 meters at 9.3%) and the Val d’Enfer (1.6 km at 10.3%), Seixas held a lead of 1:10 over Jorgenson, Christen, and Martinez, followed by an elite group including Mattias Skjelmose, Louis Barré, Egan Bernal, Christian Scaroni, and Jefferson Cepeda at 1:45.

This proved more than enough for Seixas to confidently complete his solo victory. The still only 19-year-old Frenchman crossed the finish line with a 1:48 lead, giving him plenty of time to celebrate his second pro win ever, shortly after his first victory at the Volta ao Algarve. Christen and Martinez joined him on the podium; Jorgenson missed out narrowly.

Watch here the final meters of his impressive solo ride: