Paul Seixas Admits He "Cracked" and "Exploded" on Tour de France Climbs, Missing Podium

French cyclist Paul Seixas admitted he "cracked" and "exploded" during the Tour de France's demanding final stages, dashing his hopes for a podium finish. The young rider from the Decathlon CMA-CGM team described the 19th stage, ending at Alpe d'Huez, as "terrible" and "grueling," despite the "magical" atmosphere created by the enthusiastic crowds. "It was terrible, grueling. The public was delirious, I still have tinnitus," Seixas recounted after the stage. "It was magical and at the same time one of the hardest days of my life on a bike. It was flat out, like every day. I limited the damage." On the penultimate stage, Seixas started with the hope of reaching the final podium in Paris. However, he experienced a "day without" legs or a clear path forward. Supported by teammates Nicolas Prodhomme and Matthew Riccitello, he could not execute his plan and had to abandon his dreams of a podium and the white jersey for the best young rider. He lost significant time to his rival Isaac Del Toro, ending the stage 10th and falling further behind in the classification for the white jersey. "I cracked. I tried to be stronger than usual but I exploded," Seixas confessed to RMC after the finish. "We had nothing to lose. We went all out to make Del Toro crack, but he was stronger today. In a few days, it will be a source of pride. Missing the podium is disappointing." Despite the disappointment of missing the podium, Seixas secured fourth place overall in the general classification, finishing 11 minutes and 56 seconds behind the winner, Tadej Pogacar. His performance in his first Tour de France demonstrates significant potential, even though the final climbs proved too challenging for his podium aspirations.

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It was terrible, grueling. The public was delirious, I still have tinnitus. It was magical and at the same time one of the hardest days of my life on a bike. It was flat out, like every day. I limited the damage.