A teenager riding without fear
From there, Seixas rode alone to the finish, holding off the chasers to claim the biggest one-day victory of his young career.
For Thomas, the performance was a reminder of both Seixas’ talent and the personality behind it. “He’s special,” Thomas said. “Proper professional, lovely bloke, down to earth. Still a kid, really.”
Rowe believes that youthful instinct is also reflected in the way the Decathlon rider approaches racing. “He races like that too — no fear, just goes for it.”
That freedom to commit fully to a move, even from far out, proved decisive in Ardèche as Seixas rode clear of riders far more established in the peloton.
“The level now is scary”
The discussion between Thomas and Rowe soon broadened to the wider evolution of the sport, with both men reflecting on how dramatically the level of the peloton has increased in recent years. “The level now is scary,” Thomas said. “It’s a good time to retire.”
Rowe laughed in agreement. “We got out at the right time. I’d have got the [bleep] kicked out of me if I was still a pro.”
Thomas suggested that riders entering the sport today are developing under very different conditions compared with even a decade ago. “If you were 25 now, you’d train differently, eat differently, everything’s changed.”
Rowe agreed that while he still occasionally misses racing itself, the relentless process required to reach peak condition is something he does not miss. “I miss being in top shape and racing, but I don’t miss the process of getting into that shape.”
For Seixas, however, that process is only just beginning. And if Rowe’s insight is anything to go by, the bold move that delivered victory in Ardèche was not a spontaneous gamble.
It was exactly the kind of fearless attack the teenager had already decided to try long before the decisive climb arrived.