The appointment is Saturday on the gravel roads of Strade Bianche: Paul Seixas believes in it, and he's not afraid to say so. «This is one of my favorite races, I've been watching it on TV since I was 12 or 13 years old. I've raced the Eroica twice in the Under 23 Nations Cup calendar, and it included quite a few gravel road sections. I really enjoyed it because it felt like cyclocross».

Yes, Seixas was a cyclocross rider and has the skill to ride on gravel, even though he obviously lacks Pogacar's explosiveness. In any case, the young man from Lyon at Decathlon-CMA CMG, who is just 19 years old, is certainly one of the most anticipated riders in the Siena classic: «It's a race that suits me very well. The starting list is impressive, and my objective, with the help of my teammates, is to see where I can position myself».

Last year the professional cycling world quickly took notice of Seixas: third at the European Championships behind Pogacar and Evenepoel, seventh at Lombardia, eighth at the Dauphiné, 13th at the World Championships in Rwanda, and then winner of the Tour de l'Avenir. In 2026, he immediately scored a victory at the Volta ao Algarve in the mountains ahead of Ayuso, and second overall behind the Spaniard, and then the feat at the Faun Ardèche Classic with 40 kilometers of solo breakaway after dropping Matteo Jorgenson, no small feat. On the podium he was presented as a rockstar in the morning and again in the evening after his victory. France sees in Seixas that Tour de France winner that has been missing since Hinault in 1985, but what program will the Lyon native race? His Decathlon-CMA CMG team remains tight-lipped, but several factors suggest that the talented nineteen-year-old could make his Tour de France debut this summer.

«The plan hasn't changed» explained Sébastien Joly, sports director of the French WorldTour team. Seixas will definitely not participate in either the Giro d'Italia or the Vuelta, and in the second part of the season the objective is the World Championships in Montreal, Canada (road race on September 27, time trial also possible a week before), which perfectly suit his characteristics. Before that, he will participate in the GP Québec (September 11) and the GP Montréal (September 13).

Saturday, after Strade Bianche, Seixas will return home to Lyon to train (possibly partly at altitude), then he will head to the Tour of the Basque Country (April 6-11) and will race two Ardennes classics: Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Wednesday April 22 and Sunday April 26.

«We'll take stock of the situation further down the line; things are very clear and I believe that being able to focus completely on these objectives will allow him to feel free - Joly continued - It's because we work well this way that we don't change our plans».

A calendar that seems ideal for a possible Tour participation: «It opens up several possibilities for me, that's what attracted me», Seixas said in December. And then, in February: «I said the Tour isn't an obsession simply because I know I'll do it one day, and racing it this year or next isn't of fundamental importance. I'd almost like to hold back because I tell myself that participating is one of my greatest dreams».

Without the Tour, instead, there would be a gap in Seixas's calendar. After Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Decathlon leader could race the Dauphiné or the Tour de Suisse in June, minor races like the Tour de l'Ain or the new Lyon-Turin in July, the Tour of Poland in August, and the Tour of Britain in September before the World Championships.

Seixas's opinion will in any case carry particular weight, especially because the team's management and sponsors would welcome his presence in July. «We know there's a lot at stake in the Grand Tours. We were convinced that the Giro d'Italia came too early in his preparation plan - said Dominique Serieys, general manager of the team - Personally, I would be in favor of his participation in the Tour».

Also because the team needs a leading rider who makes an impact in July. It's always difficult for a French team to do without its best rider at the Tour, but the staff, rather than announce participation and then be disappointed, prefers to play it safe and wait. Seixas, junior world time trial champion in Zurich 2024, finished the Dauphiné completely exhausted (on the last day he asked to be driven down from Mont-Cenis by car rather than by bike, because he didn't feel lucid enough). Even though his progress since then has been exponential, his form and recovery will need to be monitored after a series of races «in which he will always go for the win», explains sports director Joly, and therefore he will have to push himself to the limit. To chase that Tour dream that has never seemed so close.