'Mind-boggling for someone of that age' – Hype builds for Paul Seixas challenging Pogačar and Evenepoel at Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Hype is building around 18-year-old French talent Paul Seixas, with his Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale teammate Oliver Naesen suggesting the prodigious junior could already challenge the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. While a Tour de France debut remains undecided for Seixas, Naesen's bold endorsement, stating "If I were the team boss, I would send him," underscores the exceptional potential observers are attributing to the reigning junior world time trial champion.

This burgeoning excitement for Seixas isn't entirely unfounded; he has dominated the junior ranks, securing victories in both road race and time trial disciplines, including the prestigious World Championship ITT title. Such comparisons to generational talents like Pogačar and Evenepoel, particularly at such a tender age, reflect a growing trend of younger riders making significant impacts earlier in their careers. It also highlights the pressure and expectation now placed on promising juniors to transition seamlessly into the professional peloton.

While Naesen's enthusiasm is understandable for a teammate, a dose of reality suggests Seixas's path to challenging the sport's current titans is still a long one. Let's allow the young man to finish his apprenticeship before crowning him king of the Ardennes.