Paul Seixas bids farewell to the white jersey for best young rider, but exits the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France with the awareness of now being one of the great protagonists of the race. The French talent from Decathlon-CMA CGM finished the day in fourth place at the Plateau de Solaison finish line, ceding the symbol of supremacy among Under 25s to Isaac Del Toro, but nonetheless making an important step forward in the general classification.

The retirement of Jonas Vingegaard has indeed redrawn the positions at the top. Seixas is now third overall behind Remco Evenepoel, separated from him by just 58 seconds, while the gap from yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar is 5'58". An extraordinary result for a rider in his first Tour de France and one that confirms how the nineteen-year-old from Lyon represents the present and future of French cycling.

At the finish line, Seixas analyzed his performance with clarity, admitting that he may have left something on the table during the final climb. «I tackled the climb at my own pace. I could have pushed a bit harder at certain points, I hesitated too much. In the end, though, I still finished well. It was a nice climb and I'm still in contention for the general classification, so everything is fine».

Words that tell the story of a rider already very mature, capable of focusing more on overall performance than on the disappointment of losing the white jersey.

The stage, however, had not started in the best way. After about thirty kilometers, Seixas was forced to stop for a puncture, an inconvenience that forced him into a long chase and an extra effort destined inevitably to weigh on the final stretch.

«Overall I'm happy. I think I put in a good performance. It certainly wasn't ideal with the puncture early in the stage. I burned a lot of energy and, at this level, those seconds are precious and I could have saved them».

Despite the setback, the Frenchman managed to limit the damage and stay with the best riders for much of the final climb. «It's a shame, but that's how it goes. You have to look at the positive side.»

If the white jersey has passed to the shoulders of Isaac Del Toro, author of an extraordinary performance alongside Pogacar and Evenepoel, Seixas can console himself with a general classification that continues to smile on him. The young Frenchman has indeed climbed to third place, a position that few would have imagined on the eve of his debut at the Grande Boucle. Ahead of him remain only the dominant Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, while much more experienced riders will have to chase behind him.

A placement that fuels the hopes of French cycling, in search of a new general classification rider after the years of Thibaut Pinot. The feeling, listening to Seixas's words, is that of a rider who is growing stage after stage and who looks with serenity at the final week of racing.

«So far I've managed to stay strong and I've recovered well. I hope it will go just as well in the third week».

The Alps and the decisive time trial will tell whether the young talent from Decathlon-CMA CGM will be able to defend a podium position all the way to Paris. In the meantime, even without the white jersey, Paul Seixas continues to amaze and confirm himself as the great revelation of the 2026 Tour de France.