Paul Seixas, a young cyclist with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, finished eighth in the Critérium du Dauphiné, marking a significant achievement in his career. However, he will not participate in the upcoming Tour de France, as his team prefers to take a more measured approach with the rising star. Team performance director Jean-Baptiste Quiclet emphasized concerns about Seixas' readiness for the intense demands of a Grand Tour, highlighting potential risks of overtraining and workload stress given his recent transition from junior racing.
"Of course, it's a dream to do the Tour, but I don't think it makes sense to do it now. Regardless of the result at the finish of the Dauphiné, I won't do the Tour," he said.
"Last year, in the junior category, he was racing 100-120km. In terms of workload and intensity, there are definitely prior issues that need to be resolved before starting a Grand Tour," Quiclet said.
"The Tour is the most intense and toughest race of the year, and if he participated in it, he might have a 15-20% increase in workload over a month. That's where, physiologically, there could be a blocking point."
"Since he's talented, he could get through it without a hitch. But you could also get into a pattern of overwork or overtraining, and experience difficulty handling it."
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