Novak: “Seixas is better than Pogacar at 19, but Tadej won the Tour eating pizza”

Novak sparks debate after Strade Bianche

Paul Seixas’ second place at the 2026 Strade Bianche, on his debut in the Tuscan classic at just 19 years old, has reignited the debate around one of the most frequent comparisons in modern cycling. Domen Novak, teammate and compatriot of Tadej Pogacar at UAE, weighed in and drew a clear distinction between the two riders.

The Seixas–Pogacar comparison according to Novak

“Paul Seixas is very good. Everyone compares him, or wants to compare him, to Tadej Pogacar,” Novak said after the race. The Slovenian rider did not shy away from the Seixas–Pogacar comparison, admitting that the French Decathlon rider is currently more advanced than his captain was at the same age. However, he immediately added an element that changes the perspective: “As far as I know, when Tadej was Seixas’ age he wasn’t training at altitude yet and was still racing for the Continental team Ljubljana Gusto Xaurum. I can say he won his first Tour de France while eating pizza, drinking beer and playing PlayStation.”

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Novak’s doubt about the mental sustainability of young riders

Novak also raised a deeper issue regarding the approach to high-level cycling at such a young age. “These guys are too tense at 19 or 20. I don’t know if they’ll be able to race until they’re 30,” the Slovenian concluded, leaving open a broader reflection on the sustainability of such an intense development path compared to the more gradual one that led Pogacar—and many champions of the past like Nibali, Contador, etc.—to dominate world cycling for years.

FAQ

Who is Domen Novak? Domen Novak is a Slovenian professional cyclist for UAE Team Emirates and a teammate of Tadej Pogacar.

Why are Seixas and Pogacar compared? Both riders stood out at a very young age with exceptional results in one-day races and classics, naturally fueling comparisons in the cycling world.

What did Novak say about Pogacar when he was young? He pointed out that at Seixas’ age Pogacar was not yet training at altitude and was still racing for a Continental team, suggesting his development was more gradual and less “constructed”.

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