French cycling’s rising star closes a remarkable season in Japan.
SAITAMA, Japan. French cycling sensation Paul Seixas concluded his extraordinary 2026 season with victory at the Tour de France Saitama Criterium on November 15, defeating world champion Brandon McNulty after an impressive late attack on the streets of Japan.
The 20-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM rider completed the 63-kilometer exhibition race in 1 hour, 37 minutes and 55 seconds, securing his first victory at the event and becoming the first French cyclist to win the Japanese competition.
McNulty, representing UAE Team Emirates-XRG, finished second, while Norway’s Torstein Træen of Uno-X Mobility completed the podium.
The race unfolded over 17 laps of a 3.7-kilometer urban circuit near Saitama’s Shintoshin railway station, approximately 25 kilometers north of central Tokyo.
With three laps remaining, Seixas joined McNulty, Træen and Britain’s Oscar Onley in a decisive breakaway.
McNulty attacked on the penultimate lap, initially distancing his rivals. However, Seixas gradually closed the gap before launching a counterattack of his own.
The Frenchman accelerated clear during the final lap and maintained his advantage to cross the finish line alone.
The victory provided a satisfying conclusion to a highly successful year.
Seixas had finished second at the Singapore Criterium one week earlier, behind Mexican rider Isaac del Toro. His triumph in Japan reversed that disappointment and gave him another opportunity to celebrate before the winter break.
His 2026 achievements include winning Il Lombardia, one of professional cycling’s five prestigious Monument races, and finishing fourth overall in his Tour de France debut.
Those performances have established Seixas among the most closely watched young riders in international cycling.
The Saitama event, organized by Amaury Sport Organisation, the company behind the Tour de France, is designed to introduce Japanese audiences to leading international cyclists.
Although the criterium is an exhibition rather than a regular WorldTour competition, it attracts major names and offers fans opportunities to meet riders beyond Europe’s traditional racing calendar.
This year’s field included Michael Matthews, Mauro Schmid, Thymen Arensman and Valentin Paret-Peintre.
Australian cyclist Matthews won the points classification, while Paret-Peintre secured the mountains competition.
Seixas joins a distinguished list of Saitama winners that includes Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and Mark Cavendish.
For the French rider, the achievement represents another milestone in a rapidly developing career.
His performance also demonstrates the importance of tactical patience: rather than immediately responding to every acceleration, Seixas measured his effort before attacking at the decisive moment.
As the 2026 cycling season draws to a close, his victory in Japan reinforces the international attention surrounding one of the sport’s emerging talents.
Beyond the Numbers, the Human Achievement.