Teenage sensation Paul Seixas (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) may have been one of the revelations of the Tour of the Alps, but in a sign of humility, he insisted that his teammate Nicolas Prodhomme win the final stage in Lienz.
The Decathlon duo found themselves riding towards the win after Seixas attacked from the breakaway on the final climb, and Prodhomme bridged across, and with Seixas' performances this week, he may have been expected to win, but the team instead repaid a loyal domestique.
Prodhomme crossed the line just ahead of Seixas and the pair finished arm in arm, earning the 28-year-old his first professional victory.
"The team wanted me to win, but I said, 'No, Nico deserves it more than me,'" Paul Seixas told L'Équipe at the finish when asked how the decision was made about which rider would take stage victory.
"I know I'm going to get better, I know I'm going to have other opportunities to go for a win. He's very strong, but you never know. It makes me extremely happy to let him win today."
Securing his first win at 28, Prodhomme was equally happy after a strong plan was executed well on the final day in Austria.
"This morning, we wanted to get in the breakaway with Paul to try to win the stage, and we finished second and first, so it's very nice. It's my first win, it's a very good day for the team," he said.
A win with Seixas may have been the bigger headline-grabber, but Prodhomme was also grateful for the chance to be repaid for his work, knowing he'll likely be working for Seixas much more in the future.
"I'm a pro cyclist for four years, and Paul is in his first year, and I ride a lot for the team. Yesterday I went in the breakaway, but I dropped back to help Paul and Felix [Gall] for the GC," Prodhomme explained post-stage.
"It's natural, because we work a lot for the team, and the decision between Paul and me... in the future it's more easy for me to help Paul and not the other way around. Paul is a very good talent, and there will be a lot of occasions to help him [to win]."
Second on stage 5 marked the third top-three result of the week for Seixas, finishing 6th and 15th on the other two stages after only really coming undone in the cold, wet conditions and challenging parcours on stage 4.
"I'm super happy," he told Cyclingnews. "Four times out of five, I'm in the top six of the stage, I'm always in the front except yesterday – it was a bit difficult with the weather and my experience. I'm really young compared to the older riders, so it's a bit difficult for me to be always in the front on the really hard stages like that, and to really eat well, feel well and not get really cold yesterday.
"But every day I'm here, every day I'm strong, every day I play for the win, so it's a big surprise and I've really enjoyed it."
The Tour of the Alps was Seixas' first elite stage race in Europe, his second ever after the UAE Tour earlier this year. From the first day, he knew he was going well, but to be so consistent after five days is a big confirmation of his abilities.
"It's a big step, but I also made a big step in training, so all the work from this winter has paid off," he said. "Now I'm in the level with the other riders, I feel good. I wasn't thinking I'd be this good, but it's a good surprise."
In the first days, Seixas' aggression and attacks could have been put down to excitement, but it's a style the team are also happy to foster, and it's clearly working out.
"I want to attack, I'm not a rider who will just stay in the wheels and wait," he said. "But the team also, we are here to win something. Today we won the stage, so if you want to win, you have to attack, of course."
Seixas' programme for the next few months is not yet confirmed, and his performance at the Tour of the Alps might see him slot into some bigger races than planned. However, he's hoping to combine some under-23 races like the Giro Next Gen with some more chances to learn in the elite ranks.
"If I go to the under-23 races, I want only to win," he said. "WorldTour is to learn, and if I'm here like this week, it's really good, but if I'm not here, then I can learn and I progress for the next races."
