Seixas: “I held on, this tour is all in my head”
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Paul Seixas makes us think about these children who are much taller than usual and whose age we end up forgetting. Take a three-year-old boy who is already wearing clothes that are six years old. He’s big, he looks big, but he still has this big… childish behavior. It’s a bit like Paul Seixas. However, if he plays with the big boys, he does big things and his appearance is so normal that we are amazed that he is still only 19 years old. There is nothing normal about this situation. His very presence on the Tour at such a young age is something unprecedented in nine decades. But to be at the foot of the podium two-thirds of the way through the event… And yet he still looks like he’s in the right place.
“You have to understand what he’s doing“, said Jacqui Durand on Saturday in Pedal Kings after the scene. Before the Tour de France, Eurosport’s star consultant refused to believe that the young French prodigy would be on the final podium. “Otherwise I don’t understand anything anymore“, he said. After this 14th day of racing, when the young leader of the Decathlon CMA CGM team once again amazed the world, he remains just as incredulous.”I’m losing my Latin“, admits the former winner of the Tour of Flanders.
Proom: “We had to communicate well with Paul, and we did what we wanted”
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In his opinion, this 14th act marked a new important milestone. In his opinion, Paul Seixas could not and should not so easily free himself from the context of this Markstein stage after two weeks of racing. “Last week, to be honest, I had no doubts confesses to Mayenne. Seeing that he is capable of following the best on the Great Pyrenees stage, given his qualities, I did not have much doubt. He showed this, especially in the Basque Country, so that he was able to last a week. Subsequently, if you had asked me two weeks ago: “What will he do in Markstein?” I would say, “If he limits the damage, if he ends up in the top fifteen, that would be huge for me.”.”” To say that he exceeded these reasonable expectations is an understatement.
Pogacar: “Protect it and one day it will shine”
On Saturday he tried to attack on the Col du Haag and, unless he could follow Tadej Pogacar (no one can), he battled toe-to-toe with Jonas Wingegaard to finish third on the stage. He looks Tur in the eyes and the higher ranks in the eyes. “I can’t handle it sighs Durant. Two years ago he ran 100 miles. I have no words, I don’t understand anything anymore“.”I, I have chillsgreets his buddy Steve Chanel. The Tour is, of course, far from over, but to have such a high ranking on the evening of the 14th stage, to be in the white jersey, to ride with Vingegaard, who has already won the Tour… It’s incredible, it’s amazing.“
Seixas in white and 4th overall: “From now on it’s a bonus”
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Everyone is stunned… but not completely stunned. Normality of abnormality. Since turning pro, and especially in the last twelve months, he has lived up to so many expectations and overcome so many challenges. But the Tour is something else again. According to intensity, demand, requests. There is a race, 21 times, and everything else that needs to be done. “We knew we had a gem, that wasn’t the question.– Sheinel notes again. We knew he was good in the mountains, good in time trials. But to hold on for so long, especially under pressure from the media, when every day, every day you hear “Paul Seixas, Paul Seixas”, it’s strong.“
It’s simple: we’ve never seen such a strong and mature runner under 20 years old. And even such a young rider does not wear the characteristic jersey at the Grand Boucle. There is still a week left to determine the scale and scope of what Paul Seixas can achieve in this Tour de France, but the scale of the phenomenon is already of historical significance.
To the point that Jacqui Durand said to himself that if he were not from here, the weight of suspicion would undoubtedly be colossal when viewed from France: “I want to say: “Fortunately, he is French.” If it were a Slovenian, Costa Rican or Russian, there would be a lot of doubt that the 19-year-old runner would play with the big boys..” “To be completely honestcontinues Steve Chanel, I’m waiting for the day when he gets worse. To finally say: “We have someone normal.” He really is what we call very tall.“
There is a person who is not more surprised than this. Perhaps because he was already on the last Vuelta podium before he turned 21, and a year later he became the king of the Tour de France. “Paul Seixas is definitely a contender and a great champion.with the exception of Tadej Pogačar, since it affected him. He is already a very good leader in his team, which is very strong and works very well for him. The public loves him.“And “Pogie” ends with a spell to all of us: “He is the next great hope for the French, so protect him and one day he will shine.That day doesn’t seem so far away anymore, and that’s the craziest part.
Bardet: “Seixas in a white jersey is a great sign”
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