Paul Seixas, riding for Decathlon CMA CGM, delivered a commanding performance at the Faun-Ardèche Classic, launching a decisive solo attack 46km from the finish on the Mur de Royes. The 19-year-classic Frenchman’s victory marks a significant achievement in his burgeoning career, following a stage win and second-place overall finish at the Volta ao Algarve earlier this year.
Seixas’s attack proved immediately effective, as he distanced Visma-Lease a Bike’s Matteo Jorgenson on the challenging ascent. Demonstrating a maturity beyond his years, Seixas maintained a relentless pace, building a substantial lead as the race progressed. He continued to extend his advantage even on the subsequent climb of the Val d’Enfer, 40 kilometers into his solo effort, appearing as energetic as Tadej Pogačar and as effortless as Mathieu van der Poel, according to reports.
The race, contested over a 187.6km circuit around Guilherand-Granges featuring 11 climbs, saw an early breakaway attempt by a group of eight riders – Alexy Faure Prost (Picnic-PostNL), Geoffrey Bouchard and Theo Lévêque (TotalEnergies), Eivind Broholt Fougner (Unibete Rose Rockets), Victor Guernalec (CIC), Léandre Huck (Van Rysel Roubaix), Jaakko Hänninen and Laurens Huys (Nice Metropole). However, the breakaway’s advantage was limited to just over two minutes before being reeled in by the peloton.
The decisive move came on the Mur de Royes, a 6.8km climb with an average gradient of 7.3%. Seixas’s acceleration initially drew out a select group including Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and Jorgenson. However, Christen and Martinez were the first to fall back, and Jorgenson was unable to sustain the pace, eventually losing contact.
Despite a determined chase by Jorgenson, Christen, and Martinez, they trailed Seixas by 48 seconds at the base of the descent. A secondary chase group, containing Egan Bernal (Ineos), Roman Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ), and Louis Barre (Visma-Lease a Bike), was further behind at 1:03. The gap continued to widen as Seixas powered on, holding a lead of 1:05 with 25km remaining.
In the closing kilometers, the chasing trio appeared to ease their effort, engaging in a tactical sprint for the remaining podium positions. Jan Christen ultimately secured second place, narrowly beating Lenny Martinez, while Matteo Jorgenson finished fourth. Seixas crossed the finish line with a winning margin of 1:48.
The final results saw Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) take second place, followed by Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) in third, and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) in fourth.
