Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM): “I went by feel on the final climb”
April 22 nd 2026 - 17:35
Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) won the 2026 edition of La Flèche Wallonne.
“I had a different plan this morning, as we intended to lead me out into the Mur - but you hardly can ever execute a plan perfectly, especially in a race where positioning is so difficult. I even found out I had a broken spoke at the finish! Everyone was fighting for position for a hundred kilometers, and it was mentally exhausting. The team did a great job at putting me in position, and then I went by feel on the final climb. I looked at who was around me, assessed my rivals, and launched my defining effort 300 meters from the line. My team deserves this victory.”
“I surprised myself a bit on the Mur because I didn’t really know how I’d perform in this type of effort, which is different from what I’m used to. It’s a very nice surprise, even though I knew where I could be from what I experienced at the 2025 European Championship in Ardèche. This confirms what I thought, and I’m happy to have tested myself in such a punchy effort, and ascertain what I’m capable of over such sharp climbs.”
At 19 years and 210 days old, Paul Seixas became the youngest winner in the history of La Flèche Wallonne:
“I don’t fully realize [the magnitude of this victory.] I’m already focused on Liège–Bastogne–Liège; the goals keep coming one after the next, and you have to stay focused. I’m just extremely happy with what we did today. Statistics and records are nice, but the important thing is to win. I focus on what I have to do: winning. I’m the team leader, and age doesn’t matter—if I start a race, it’s to win it. Today I was capable of pulling it off, and the team put everything in place for me.”
“It’s always difficult to win because the level in the top tier is pretty even. You have to do everything right if you are to achieve a victory like this. I’m having a great run of success with many wins, but the whole team is working 200% to create the best possible scenarios. We use videos, course recons… Power doesn’t win races alone. As we saw today, there are also crashes, and you have to stay well-positioned and have a strong team to avoid them and diminish their consequences. It’s not easy. Even with the same riders at the start, it’s far from guaranteed that I’d be the best in the next race.”
