‘I’d love to see him on the Tour’ - Alberto Contador wants Paul Seixas at 2026 Tour de France over Vuelta a Espana

The Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider has emerged as one of the brightest hopes in cycling, and Seixas has already garnered the weight of some expectation from his home supporters in France.

The 19-year-old has been tipped to contend at either the Vuelta a Espana or the Tour later in the season.

Seixas has already enjoyed an outstanding season so far. He topped the general classification at Tour of the Basque Country, won La Fleche Wallone and the Ardeche Classic, and placed second in the Volta ao Algarve, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Strade Bianche events.

The Frenchman also placed eighth in last year’s Criterium du Dauphine, one of the key warm-up events ahead of the Tour de France.

Contador knows plenty about Grand Tour success, having won the Tour de France twice, the Giro d'Italia twice, and the Vuelta a Espana three times. 

Looking ahead to Seixas' immediate chances, he told Eurosport Spain: "I think he's capable of participating. He'll be under pressure, yes, but the greatest pressure will be the one he puts on himself. 

"With riders of that calibre I've worked with, external factors ultimately don't matter much, and you're the one who's most demanding of yourself. I'm sure he's eager to make his Tour debut. 

"A rider with so much talent who looks so good, what's he going to dream about? He's going to dream about winning the greatest race in the world."

However, Contador believes it may better suit the youngster to take on the Vuelta first, because there is less pressure compared to cycling’s most prestigious event.

"Looking ahead to his debut, it might be more advantageous to go to the Vuelta first and have a little less stress," he explained.

"On the other hand, we have to consider that he's French, and in France they've been looking for someone for years who can win the Tour... and who excites them.

"The team also comes into play there. He has another year on his contract, and if he didn't, they would definitely take him to the Tour, thinking about whether they could take him away from the team without him racing it in their colours.

"I imagine the negotiations are about to be finalised with that contract."

While Contador said he would ”love” to see Seixas race on the Tour this year, he accepted it may be the Vuelta where he makes an appearance.

He urged some caution, too, saying that at 19, Seixas may need more recovery time than a more mature rider.

He concluded: "Personally, as a spectator, I'd love to see him on the Tour.

"But I would completely understand if both he and the team opted for the Vuelta a Espana. It's a particular situation with different interests. 

”If he ends up going to the Tour, he shouldn't be expected to win; at most, he could be expected to reach the podium. In three-week races, he remains an unknown quantity, despite his great results so far. 

”We have to see how he recovers in three weeks. He's not yet fully developed physically; he's a junior, he's 19 years old."

Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.

Stream the 2026 cycling season live on TNT Sports and HBO Max