'I feel ready to give everything I have over these three weeks' – Paul Seixas confirmed for debut Tour de France as Decathlon CMA CGM reveals team
Olav Kooij to target bunch sprints in debut
Paul Sexias has said he is "ready to give everything I have over these three weeks" as his Tour de France debut was confirmed by Decathlon CMA CGM on Monday afternoon.
His participation was revealed back in May, but a crash at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes briefly put this in doubt. He will be joined in Barcelona by Olav Kooij, with the Dutch sprinter also making his debut, Tiesj Benoot, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Nicolas Prodhomme, Cees Bol, Daan Hoole and Matthew Riccitello.
Seixas, just 19, will become the youngest starter at the Tour in 89 years as a result, and only the second 19-year-old to take part in the 21st century. However, Seixas will also be looking for a result in the biggest bike race of them all, a race a Frenchman has not won since 1985, although Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift last year.
"After my crash and withdrawal from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, I was able to resume my preparation for the Tour de France almost as planned, with a few adjustments to some training sessions because of my injuries," he said. "With five days to go until the Grand Départ, I feel ready to give everything I have over these three weeks and achieve the best result possible.
"I am not setting myself a more specific goal because I am heading into the unknown, having never raced an event this long and demanding before. I hope I can play an active role in the race, continue to improve, and enjoy the experience along the way. It is the race I have always dreamed of, and I know how fortunate I am to be taking part in it so early in my career."
"We approach the Tour with ambition, but also with humility, determined to build on the progress we have made over the past few seasons," Dominique Serieys, the team's general manager, said. "We have built a strong, well-balanced, and united team, featuring riders with the profiles needed to achieve our objectives.
"Paul Seixas will make his Tour de France debut as part of this group, aiming to deliver the best possible result while continuing his development and gaining valuable experience. Olav Kooij, who will also be making his first appearance in the Tour de France, will have several opportunities to showcase his sprinting speed in the bunch finishes.
"With this lineup, the team led by Luke Rowe, who will be making his Grand Tour debut as a sports director, will target the general classification while also aiming to claim at least one stage victory whenever the opportunity arises."
Kooij started his season late after a virus took him out at the beginning of the year, but won a stage at the Baloise Belgium Tour earlier in June, after two at the Boucles de la Mayenne.
"The start of my season was not what I had hoped for, but we remained patient and kept working," Kooij said. "The victories I achieved in recent weeks, after returning to competition, have given me a lot of confidence.
"I know the level of competition will be even higher because we will be racing in the biggest cycling event in the world, but our goals are clear, both for the team and for me: to help Paul finish as high as possible in the overall standings and to win at least one sprint stage. I am grateful to the team for the trust they have placed in me."
