'We also learn from painful moments' – Decathlon-CMA CGM philosophical after Seixas abandon
The crash of pre-race favourite Paul Seixas on the penultimate stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes cast a shadow over the final weekend of the Tour de France warm-up race, which was won by Isaac Del Toro after domination in the mountains. Seixas tried to make it to the finale on the Plateau de Solaison, but after the first climb, his injuries made continuing too much to manage.
"We also learn from painful moments,” team director Julien Jurdie told Ouest France. “I think we saw many great things from the team as a whole. Paul appreciated that immensely. He had a beautiful message for his teammates over the radio before he left the race.”
The team doctor also provided an assessment post-stage, confirming optimism that the Frenchman should be ok in time for the Tour.
"After a good night’s sleep, Paul had decided to test himself on the first climb of the stage,” team doctor Jacky Maillot added. "But due to the effort, he developed pain in several places, and with his various wounds on his hands and elbows, controlling the bike became too difficult. The instruction was to absolutely avoid taking any risks...
“A crash like the one he suffered on Saturday, at around 70 kph, is very energy-sapping and he will need a few days of rest before resuming his preparation for the Tour de France."
