Paul Seixas makes it easy and wins the Flèche Wallonne 2026 in his debut

Paul Seixas is now part of the history of the Fleche Wallonne. The Frenchman, at only 19 years old, has won the 2026 edition in his debut, confirming everything that was expected beforehand and even overcoming a critical moment during the race after being involved in a crash.

Paul Seixas wins the Fleche Wallonne 2026 in his debut after triumphing on the Mur de Huy

The Belgian classic was once again decided where it always is, on the Mur de Huy, but this time with a different outcome than expected. With neither Pogacar nor Evenepoel at the start, the race was completely open and Seixas took on the role of favorite from the beginning and turned it into victory.

The development of the race followed the usual script. A controlled breakaway for most of the day and a peloton that became increasingly reduced as they approached the final circuit. The passage through the Côte de Cherave did not provoke decisive attacks, a clear sign that no one wanted to take risks before the Mur.

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The approach to Huy was particularly tense. Crashes in the final stretch took several important names out of the race and raised doubts about the condition of some favorites. Among them was Seixas himself, who was seen riding with a bloodied arm after an off-camera incident.

Nevertheless, the Frenchman always stayed well positioned. His team worked to protect him and place him at the front at the crucial moment, just before the start of the Mur.

Seixas controls, waits, and finishes strong in the decisive zone

The start of the climb was slower than usual. No one wanted to make the first move, and the favorites were looking at each other, waiting for the exact moment. Seixas always stayed at the front, attentive to every gesture.

The first serious change of pace came in the middle section of the Mur, in the hardest part. It was there that Seixas began to create gaps with a progressive acceleration, not launching suddenly but wearing down his rivals meter by meter.

Benoit Cosnefroy and Ben Tulett were the only ones able to follow him at that moment, while Mauro Schmid also held on slightly further back. But the definitive attack came shortly after. Seixas accelerated again, and this time there was no response.

In the final meters, with the slope easing slightly, the Frenchman finished opening up a gap and secured the victory solo, completing a perfect climb in execution and timing.

Phénoménal Paul Seixas ! Le crack français a mis tout le monde d'accord dans le mur de Huy pour succéder à Tadej Pogacar au palmarès de la #FlecheWallonne ! #LesRP pic.twitter.com/WAQu84PU4w

— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) April 22, 2026

Seixas's triumph is not a surprise in terms of performance, but it is in the context of the race. Winning the Fleche Wallonne in your debut is something extremely unusual, especially on such a specific climb as the Mur de Huy, where experience usually makes the difference.

Top 10 Fleche Wallonne 2026

1. Paul Seixas (Decathlon) – 4:35:29
2. Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) – at 3 s
3. Ben Tulett (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – at 3 s
4. Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates XRG) – at 3 s
5. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) – at 8 s
6. Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) – at 8 s
7. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) – at 10 s
8. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) – at 10 s
9. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) – at 10 s
10. Andreas Kron (Uno-X Mobility) – at 10 s