As France's teenage prodigy Paul Seixas got his Tour de France career underway on a sweltering stage 1 team time trial in Barcelona, he made it through the initial test in this baptism of fire, limiting his losses to the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar to less than 40 seconds.
He sits 10th overall after the opener, with the media presence at Decathlon CMA CGM's bus confirming his status as the great French hope, who looks most likely to end the 45-year drought since Bernard Hinault was the last home men's rider to win the yellow jersey.
