Paul Seixas: “three stage wins and the overall victory is incredible”
“It was an epic stage, in terrible weather conditions. I preferred to attack on the climb so I could tackle the descent alone and avoid taking any risks. I thought the other leaders would bridge the gap quickly, but that wasn’t the case; I had to pull quite hard, but I felt good. Ending this week with three stage wins and the overall victory is incredible. I’ve checked off one of my goals for the season. I know it’s been 19 years since a Frenchman has done this, I was barely a year old at the time. I’m very proud to make it, though others like Bardet or Pinot have come close. I also realized this week that you need a seriously strong team to win, and I was lucky to have guys by my side who gave it their all. A staff that had studied everything meticulously. This victory is theirs too.”
Cyril Dessel: “It’s been a fantastic week for the team”
“This was a race we had been looking forward to for several weeks; we knew it was a key objective for Paul. The result is extraordinary, with three stage wins and the overall title, alongside an irreproachable team effort. The whole team did a great job positioning Paul so he could attack and make differences; they supported him perfectly throughout the week. This final stage was stressful, but we managed to keep it under control to secure the overall victory. It’s been a fantastic week for the team, with Paul as our leader and an exemplary collective performance. For him, this is a major milestone: he was expected to step up as the sole leader and proved he could deliver at the highest world level. A turning point that will mark the beginning of his career.”
Key figure: 795
Like the number of kilometers spent in the lead of the general classification of the Tour of the Basque Country for Paul Seixas. After winning the opening time trial, Paul took the leader’s yellow jersey, a jersey he held onto all the way to the final stage’s finish line. He also claimed three of the six stages, the mountain jersey, the best young rider jersey, and the points classification: total dominance.
News: A new record for precocity
By winning the general classification of Itzulia Basque Country, Paul becomes, at 19 years, 6 months, and 17 days old, the youngest rider ever to win this race, as well as the youngest winner of a WorldTour stage race since the category’s inception, overtaking a certain Remco Evenepoe
