Cyclisme: le prodige français Paul Seixas remporte la Flèche Wallonne

Paul Seixas delivered a dominant performance to win La Flèche Wallonne in commanding fashion, becoming the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Belgian classic at just 19 years old. The French prodigy launched a decisive acceleration on the Mur de Huy that none of his rivals could match, riding solo to victory atop the infamous climb.

The 19-year-old French sensation came within touching distance of history on the Mur de Huy, stopping the clock at 2:43, just shy of the long-standing record of 2:41 set by Alejandro Valverde in 2014 and matched by Julian Alaphilippe in 2021. Seixas’ time now ranks among the fastest ascents in the climb’s history, reinforcing the scale of his breakthrough performance.

Seixas was without rival to win La Flèche Wallonne. Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla) finished second and Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike) rounded out the podium in the mid-week classic that serves as a preview of what lies ahead for Sunday’s much longer and more daunting Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The decisive move came on the steepest section after the S Bend, in less than ideal conditions with a cross headwind from the left, where he launched a sustained acceleration that none of his rivals could match, riding clear all the way to the finish. While the record ultimately remained out of reach (he did take the Strava KOM), the ride confirmed why Seixas is widely regarded as France’s leading prospect to follow in the footsteps of Bernard Hinault.

Still only 19, he has already begun to translate potential into results at the highest level. His next test comes quickly at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he is set to line up against established stars including Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogačar, in what will present a very different challenge.

Seixas opened up the turbos halfway up the famed Mur de Huy and no one could hold his wheel on Belgium’s most explosive climb. The traditional attacking point comes at about 200m to go coming out of the last corner on 10 percent-plus grades. The wall hits ramps as steep as 26 percent, and gets steeper as the pavement climbs up.

The French sensation thanked his teammates for their perfect work in setting up his victory. “I want to thank all my teammates, because they did a perfect job. Last year I was still watching this race on television and now I win here, We see incredible,” Seixas said at the line. “At 300 meters from the finish line I saw that my competitors were suffering and I gave everything right to the finish.”

All eyes were on Seixas, and Decathlon CMA CGM did its share of work to reel in the early move. The young Frenchman had four teammates leading him into the finale. Like almost every year, it all came down to the Mur de Huy in the 90th edition of the “Wallonne Arrow.”

More recent editions have typically been won in the mid to high 2:40 range, including 2:46 efforts from Tadej Pogačar in 2023, Dylan Teuns in 2022 and Cadel Evans in 2010, while Marc Hirschi recorded 2:47 in 2020. Davide Rebellin set a benchmark of 2:45 in 2007, with Philippe Gilbert going one second faster in 2011.

Seixas’ victory marks a significant milestone in his rapidly developing career. The young Frenchman has quickly established himself as one of cycling’s most exciting prospects, and his performance in La Flèche Wallonne suggests he is ready to compete with the sport’s elite on its biggest stages.

As he prepares for Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Seixas will face a much sterner test against some of the sport’s biggest names. The Ardennes classic presents a different kind of challenge compared to the explosive nature of La Flèche Wallonne, testing endurance and tactical acumen over a much longer distance.

For now, however, the focus remains on his historic achievement. At just 19 years old, Paul Seixas has etched his name into the history of La Flèche Wallonne with a performance that combined youthful exuberance with remarkable maturity and strength.

His next confirmed checkpoint is Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, where he will look to build on this momentum against stiffer competition. Share your thoughts on Seixas’ breakthrough victory in the comments below.