Paul Seixas strengthened his reputation as a major future Tour de France prospect with bronze in the elite world time trial.
The 19-year-old Frenchman finished third at the road world championships, despite facing specialist time trial riders. Remco Evenepoel won the title, with Filippo Ganna taking silver for Italy.
Seixas ended 1:13 behind Evenepoel and just 16 seconds away from Ganna. The result marked a striking improvement from last year’s world time trial, where he placed 16th and finished 4:14 behind Evenepoel.
That three-minute gain over 12 months showed how quickly Seixas has developed. It also changed how many may view his ceiling against the clock.
Paul Seixas shows rapid progress against time trial specialists
Seixas called the podium a source of real satisfaction after the finish. He said the ride was “almost perfect” for his pacing and management.
He credited his coach, the French national team, and his trade team for placing him in a position to deliver. Seixas also said he hoped the medal would encourage younger riders in time trials.
The performance carried extra intrigue because Seixas has built his name as a climber. His physique and previous major results point strongly toward the mountains.
He also does not appear as aerodynamic as riders such as Evenepoel. On the time trial bike, Seixas rides more upright than many specialists.
Yet his power output helped offset that disadvantage. His improvement now makes a future rainbow jersey in the discipline look possible, even if he remains cautious.
Seixas accepted that a world time trial title could become a long-term target. For now, he stressed the gap to riders like Evenepoel and Ganna.
He described Evenepoel as clearly above the rest after the Belgian’s fourth world title. He also called Ganna a great champion and said he was happy to share a podium with both.
Söderqvist crash shapes bronze medal battle
The fight for third also carried a difficult footnote. Jacob Söderqvist had been ahead of Seixas at the final checkpoint before crashing soon afterward.
Söderqvist held a five-second advantage over the French rider at that split. He eventually finished fifth after losing time from the fall.
Seixas did not dismiss the impact of that incident. He acknowledged Söderqvist had been “very solid” and said he felt some bitterness about benefiting from another rider’s crash.
The Frenchman also noted that he may have taken fewer risks through corners. Staying upright ultimately proved decisive in a race where one mistake changed the medal picture.
That caution may also have reflected the wider stakes of his week. Seixas entered the time trial as a medal contender, but the road race always suited him more naturally.
He is expected to be among the leading names for next Sunday’s road race. The tougher terrain should favor his climbing strength more than the flat power demands of the time trial.
Road race offers bigger rainbow jersey chance
Seixas made clear that the road race remains a very different challenge. He pointed to endurance, tactics, and changing efforts as key factors.
Still, the time trial bronze confirmed strong form before the main event. Seixas said he felt physically strong and ready to race intelligently.
When asked about his road race ambitions, he suggested he wanted to improve on third place. He said he hoped to stand on a different step of the podium.
That ambition now carries more weight after his time trial breakthrough. Seixas proved he can handle elite championship pressure against older, established rivals.
The road race will bring another test, with several powerful opponents expected to challenge him. Seixas said he and France have their cards to play.
After the best time trial ride of his young career, those cards look stronger than ever.
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