For the moment unable to compete with Tadej Pogacar, Paul Seixas is convinced that time is on his side against the Slovenian monster.
For his first year among professionals, Paul Seixas gave himself some very nice memories. If he has not yet had the opportunity to raise his arms, having to be content with two time trial victories, he notably offered himself a place on the podium of the European Championships alongside Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.
For a few moments, the young French prodigy even allowed himself to follow the two men. A performance that he was unable to repeat during the Tour of Lombardy last weekend. The Lyonnais had already been able to measure the gulf that still separates him from the Slovenian during the Critérium du Dauphiné or during the World Championships.
And according to him, it will always be difficult for him to compete in the short term with the four-time winner of the Tour de France. “ On a regular basis, it’s not for nowhe confided during his visit to Bistrot Vélo on Eurosport. But we know his best performances. We’re going to train to try to beat him. That’s sport. There are some great steps to take before that. There’s a lot of work, that’s for sure. »
“The age gap is still significant”
“ It’s his level that you need to have to win races today, at least the biggest ones,” he continued, adding about the Slovenian : “He is one of the most complete, in what he does, the races he takes part in, he is always ready to win. Regardless of the profile and type of effort, between two minutes and an hour is the strongest. It’s pretty crazy. It’s a source of inspiration because that’s how you become complete and how you can win the general rankings. We’re trying to understand how he does it. »
But Paul Seixas has a major asset in his hand: his youth. While the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale runner has just celebrated his 19th birthday, Tadej Pogacar is now 27 years old. “The age gap is still significant. This means that we are not in the same generation and that after a while, if everything goes well, he will be on the decline before me. he whispered, taking the trouble to clarify: “But it’s not the goal to beat him when he’s on the decline but when he’s at his level. »
“I prefer to take a step back and tell myself that I still have time to progress, he concluded. I’m progressing at my own pace, there’s no point in telling myself that in two years I have to reach his level. I prefer to progress little by little and be the best version of myself. »
