Cyclist Paul Seixas Crashes, Loses Three Minutes in Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

French cyclist Paul Seixas suffered a significant setback in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after crashing during the seventh stage. The incident occurred 32 kilometers into the queen stage, which concluded with the formidable Grand Colombier climb.

Seixas, a rider for the Décathlon-CMA CGM team, was seen off the road with his helmet removed, receiving attention from a team member. After a delay, he remounted his bike with the help of two teammates, but had already lost 3 minutes and 20 seconds to the leading group. Despite their efforts to help him regain pace, Seixas continued to lose ground.

The crash is a major blow to the young rider's aspirations in the race, especially given the challenging terrain that remained. More critically, the incident comes just three weeks before Seixas is set to compete in his first-ever Tour de France, raising concerns about his form and fitness for the Grand Tour.