Supertalent Paul Seixas takes on Pogacar in Strade Bianche: "The race has to suit me"

The cycling world is eagerly anticipating it: the (expected) battle between Tadej Pogacar and Paul Seixas at Strade Bianche. For the only 19-year-old Frenchman, it will be his first time participating in the Italian classic. "It’s one of my favorite races," he says ahead of the event.

"I’m really looking forward to taking part in Strade Bianche. I’ve been watching it on TV since I was twelve or thirteen, and I can’t wait to experience it myself," continues the new French cycling sensation from Decathlon CMA CGM in a press release. "When I raced in the U19 category, I competed twice in the Eroica Nations Cup, a race for young riders featuring various gravel sections."

"I enjoyed it a lot because it reminded me a bit of cyclocross. I think it’s a race that suits my profile well, but the field looks impressive. The goal is to see where I stand compared to the top riders - with the help of my teammates."

Seixas made his professional debut last year and had a very strong autumn: he won the Tour de l’Avenir, finished thirteenth at the World Championships in Rwanda, took third at the European Championships on home soil, and seventh in the Giro di Lombardia. In recent weeks, he secured a tough stage win in the Volta ao Algarve and soloed to an impressive victory in the Faun-Ardèche Classic. In short: the form of this top talent is beyond question.

The climber - who will likely experience his Tour de France debut this year - can count on the support of puncher Paul Lapeira (also in excellent form), Pierre Gautherat, Noa Isidore, Antoine L'Hote, Jordan Labrosse, and Gregor Mühlberger on Saturday.