French cyclist Paul Seixas targets victory in Tour Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes

Nineteen‑year‑old Paul Seixas, riding for the Decathlon CMA CGM team, has set his sights on winning the Tour Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes, which runs from 7 June to 14 June in southeastern France. After a three‑week altitude training camp in Spain’s Sierra Nevada, Seixas says he feels well recovered and ready to compete on the familiar roads of his home region.

Seixas, who won the Tour of the Basque Country earlier in the season and finished eighth in the same French race last year, is considered a favourite. He will need to beat rivals such as Isaac Del Toro of UAE Team Emirates and Juan Ayuso of Lidl‑Trek. The rider also views the race as a key preparation for the Tour de France later in July, where he hopes to challenge the current dominance of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard.

His ambitious approach has drawn attention in the French cycling community, renewing expectations that a French rider could capture the title for the first time since Christophe Moreau won in 2007.