Praise falls short after Paul Seixas scores first pro win over Ayuso and Almeida: "He still has a lot to learn"

On top of an icy cold Alto da Foía, Paul Seixas took center stage. In the second stage of the Volta ao Algarve 2026, he claimed his first pro victory by beating world-class riders like Juan Ayuso and João Almeida in a direct duel. A performance that promises a lot for the just 19-year-old French prodigy. "First, I want to ride a good GC here. Maybe I’ll even win here?" he wondered after the race in front of our camera.

Amid a jumble of people, team staff, and spectators, a cheer suddenly erupted. Decathlon CMA CGM riders Stan Dewulf, Jordan Labrosse, and Oliver Naesen crossed the finish line, only then learning that 10 minutes earlier the stage win had gone to their young teammate Seixas. "Amazing news, fantastic," Naesen shouted to WielerFlits.

"He’s a super talent with a lot of confidence, already tons of knowhow and knowledge about his metiers in the sport. But he still has a lot to learn," warns the experienced Naesen. "In terms of energy management and such, but he’s exceptional. If he can beat big names here... That’s great, that’s super!"

Naesen is especially impressed by the way he did it, and on top of that, he beat top climbers like Ayuso and Almeida in the Algarve. Not a small race in the peloton. "It’s one of the more important non-WorldTour races," says Ollie. "Those guys don’t like losing, especially not to a newcomer. That’s fantastic."

'I knew Paul believed he could beat those guys'
Teammate Matthew Riccitello played a key role in the finale. After Seixas had pushed the pace and was left only with Ayuso and Almeida, just two riders could join them: Riccitello and Onley. "I wasn’t surprised I could come back to the break. I don’t always feel great on very punchy climbs, but I found my rhythm toward the top and didn’t want to bring other riders in my draft."

"Luckily, it was just Onley and me, with Oscar doing most of the work. I was over my limit but wanted to keep the tempo high because I knew Paul believed he could beat those guys in the sprint. He finished it off, that was amazing," laughs Riccitello. "He’s really a top talent, young and very good."

Seixas: "I really took a step and was curious how it would turn out"
The 19-year-old Seixas was already full of confidence before this race. "The feeling was great and I really feel I’ve made progress since last season. I’m in shape, and we did everything to start this season well, to also be able to win certain races. And to get my first pro win here, that’s something..."

"I really took a step, but I knew that before this Volta ao Algarve," he adds. "I was mainly curious how it would turn out. The team really helped because they protected me well and Riccitello made a good effort in the finale. He forced Ayuso and Almeida to respond, then I followed and saved energy for the sprint. It was the perfect scenario."

If you can already show this in a serious race like the Volta ao Algarve, what can we expect from Seixas in races like Strade Bianche, the Tour of the Basque Country, and the Ardennes Classics? "I have plenty of big races on my program, but it’s already great to be able to win here now. We’ll see what comes next."

"First, I want to ride a good GC here. Maybe I’ll even win? We’ll see after the time trial how I’m positioned. I’m still in contention for the overall win, so I’ll focus on that first. I trained on the time trial bike during training camp, mostly on the trainer," said Seixas, who spent weeks at Sierra Nevada and—like riders from Visma | Lease a Bike—mostly faced wintery conditions and had little opportunity to ride outdoors.