Teen Cyclist Paul Seixas Breaks Tourmalet Time Ahead of Tour de France Debut

Nineteen‑year‑old French rider Paul Seixas, racing for Decathlon CMA CGM, logged a 25‑minute‑25‑second effort over a ten‑kilometre stretch of the Col du Tourmalet on Strava, beating Lenny Martinez’s previous best by 35 seconds. In a twelve‑day altitude camp he covered roughly 1,500 km and amassed 37,000 m of climbing, then added another 7,000 m in 210 km of Pyrenean training, tackling both the Col d’Aspin and the Tourmalet twice.

Seixas is set to make his Tour de France debut in July. As a final test he will race the Tour Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes (formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné) from 7–14 June, which includes the same mountain stages that will feature the legendary Tourmalet climb in the sixth stage of the Tour.