Tour de France: 'What Seixas is doing at his age, Pogacar perhaps didn't do,' Thibaut Pinot praises French prodigy

Veteran French cyclist Thibaut Pinot has lauded the prodigious talent of young French rider Paul Seixas, describing him as a "phenomenon" during the start of the Tour de France's 13th stage in Dole. Pinot, who recently retired from professional cycling, believes Seixas is performing exceptionally well for his age.

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What he is doing at his age, I think Pogacar perhaps didn't do it either... it's exceptional what he's doing.

"What he is doing at his age, I think Pogacar perhaps didn't do it either... it's exceptional what he's doing," Pinot stated, drawing a comparison to the highly successful Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar. Pinot, who finished third in the 2014 Tour de France and was a contender in 2019 before withdrawing, emphasized that this Tour is a crucial learning experience for Seixas.

Pinot advised the young Lyonnais rider not to be discouraged if he doesn't secure a top-5 finish or a podium position this year. "This year for him is about gaining experience, and even if he finishes in the top 5, one should not be disappointed, or a podium, and I think he has the legs to make a podium," he said.

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This year for him is about gaining experience, and even if he finishes in the top 5, one should not be disappointed, or a podium, and I think he has the legs to make a podium.

Pinot, a crowd favorite during his decade-long career, acknowledged the pressure that comes with exceptional early potential but noted that Seixas is well-supported. "I don't have much advice to give, even I think he is more prepared than I was at the time, now there is a lot of staff around him," Pinot added. He now leads a quiet life managing his farm, far from the cycling world.

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I don't have much advice to give, even I think he is more prepared than I was at the time, now there is a lot of staff around him.