The 19-year-old rising star announced on Monday that he will compete in the cycling classic for the first time this summer. If he does, he will become the youngest participant in the Tour de France in 89 years.
No Frenchman has won the Tour since icon Bernard Hinault took his fifth and final victory in 1985. But Paul Seixas, in great form, gives home fans hope for another home triumph.
Seixas has won seven races this season and challenged Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar for victory in the one-day race Liège–Bastogne–Liège last week.
However, he has never competed in a race longer than eight days. The Tour de France, which this year starts in Barcelona on July 4, lasts three weeks.
Correction: A previous version had the wrong start date for the Tour. The correct date is July 4.
