French teenage prodigy Paul Seixas had said that he could not wait for the Tour de France high mountain stages, and when they arrived, he proved he was up to the task.
In the Tour's sixth stage in the Pyrenees, Seixas came home in a group of contenders for the third step on the podium, just under three minutes after stage winner Tadej Pogacar, and only 19 seconds behind two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard.
That moved Tour debutant Seixas back up to sixth overall, almost four minutes behind the reigning champion.
But more importantly, he is in a group of five riders who are battling for third place behind Pogacar and Vingegaard – who have won the last six Tours between them – separated by just 33 seconds.
"Honestly, it was really hard," said the 19-year-old Seixas about the 186km stage from Pau to Gavarnie-Gedre, which took in two behemoth Pyrenean climbs on Thursday.
"I think it went pretty well, I managed the (Tourmalet) climb and there you go, one of the minor places at the finish."
He was fifth on the line but where he had impressed was on the 17km-long Tourmalet climb – one of the hardest in this year's race.
When world champion Pogacar launched his inevitable attack, no one was able to follow him.
Vingegaard set off in pursuit with Seixas alongside German Florian Lipowitz and Pogacar's teammate Isaac Del Toro in the next group on the road.
Behind them were Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel and Spaniard Juan Ayuso.
Although those two caught Seixas's group on the descent, the Frenchman had at least demonstrated he was one of the best climbers.
"It was his first real test in the high mountains and I think he will glean confidence from that – we're really in the fight for the podium," said his Decathlon CMA CGM teammate Tiesj Benoot.
🇫🇷@LeTour @seixas_paul a été accueilli à l’arrivée par le Président de la République @EmmanuelMacron. @seixas_paul met the French President, @EmmanuelMacron at the finish#DECATHLONCMACGMTEAM pic.twitter.com/cDj2i8j6Ve
— DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM (@decathloncmacgm) July 9, 2026
'GOOD LUCK TO YOU'
While Decathlon road captain Benoot and climber Nicolas Prodhomme had provided some support on the Tourmalet ascent, when Pogacar's UAE Emirates-XRG team stepped on the gas with 45km left, Seixas was on his own.
Prodhomme had at least helped Seixas move up the lead group so that he was well-placed when Pogacar attacked.
"We felt that it was soon going to accelerate, so I told him: 'I don't have much left, I'll move you up and then, good luck to you'," said Prodhomme.
Although Seixas could not initially follow either Pogacar, Vingegaard, Del Toro or Lipowitz, he did not panic and ground his way back up to the latter two before leading them over the mountain summit.
It was all the more impressive as one of his key climbing lieutenants, American Matthew Riccitello, had cracked long before and was unable to help.
This performance impressed Seixas's own teammates.
"We know that Tadej is on another level, even tough Paul is progressing incredibly quickly," said Prodhomme.
"We know he's lacking a little bit to compete with Tadej, but it's really encouraging."
Seixas will have a few days to recover from his efforts with flatter stages before the mountains return next week.
That is when he will enter new territory.
"I think the maximum number of consecutive race days he's done is seven or eight days, so from Saturday or Sunday he will already have done more than that," said Benoot.
"The Tour will be decided – at least the podium places – in the third week, so it's a long road for him."
Seixas's two participations at the eight-day Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes these last two years were the longest races he had ever done until coming to the three-week-long Tour.
Soon he will be venturing into the unknown, but with confidence and in a good position.