CyclistPro bike: Paul Seixass Strade Bianche 2026 Van Rysel RCR-RBilled as the next great hope in French cycling, 19-year-old Paul Seixas has been making waves over the past month following impressive wins at the Volta ao Algarve and Faun-Ardche Classic. He sustained this momentum over the weekend to finish in second place at Strade Bianche, becoming the youngest rider to reach the podium in the races 20-year history.To bag that runners-up spot and almost hold onto Pogaars wheel up the Monte Sante Marie the Frenchman raced on Van Rysels RCR-R. Once just called the RCR, the all-round race bike now goes by the name of RCR-R to accommodate for the RCR-F aero bike.Ahead of Seixass landmark ride on the Tuscan gravel, photographer Xavier Pereyron had the chance to shoot the teenagers bike. Related Posts Pro bike: Tadej Pogaar's Strade Bianche-winning Colnago Y1Rs Van Rysel RCR-F Proroad bike review 'The harder it is, the better': Interview with Paul Seixas, the next great French hope Van Rysel RCR road bike review Paul Seixass Van Rysel RCR-RXavier PereyronPogaar might have gone for his Y1Rs aero bike, but 19-year-old Seixas placed his trust in the traditional all-rounder RCR-R. The Pro build of this model is claimed to be around 6.9kg in weight, so not far off the UCI threshold of 6.8kg.Xavier PereyronThe team are riding with Swiss Sides Hadron Ultimate wheelsets this year, with Van Rysel working closely with the Swiss brand on several key components of its bikes. For the gravel roads of Tuscany, Seixas was running exactly the same tyres as Pogaar: 30mm-wide Continental GP 5000 S TR.Xavier PereyronThe RCR-R was first launched in 2024 when Decathlon jumped on board as title sponsors of the former AG2R team. In 2025, the RCR-F was added to the range as an all-out aero alternative for sprinters.Xavier PereyronDecathlon-CMA CGM were one of a few top teams to quietly switch from Shimano to SRAM groupsets over the offseason. One of the benefits of that move is the flexibility in the setups, with many SRAM-sponsored riders regularly choosing to go 1x, but Seixas had a standard 2x drivetrain for Strade with 54/41T chainrings.Xavier PereyronSeixas RCR-R had the standard one-piece cockpit, developed by Deda and Van Rysel. Theres a slight negative stem angle with two spacers underneath to fit the six-foot Frenchman.The post Pro bike: Paul Seixass Strade Bianche 2026 Van Rysel RCR-R appeared first on Cyclist.