Antoine Huot de Saint Albin L'essentiel reports that Thomas Voeckler, the coach of the French cycling team, has chosen Paul Seixas as the sole leader for the upcoming cycling world championships, set for this Sunday in Montreal. This decision is a notable shift for Voeckler, who is typically known for keeping his strategies vague. Alexandre Geniez, a team member, stated, "The '100% Paul Seixas' strategy is the best strategy. The only one capable of winning for the French team is Paul Seixas." However, Alexis Vuillermoz remains cautious, suspecting Voeckler might be hiding something: "Thomas is clever, more than intelligent, more than Cartesian. I think the race will bring us some surprises." In preparation for the world championships in Canada, Voeckler decided to innovate with the French team. He took the entire team to three apartments, one hour away from Montreal, to live almost in self-management. It is unclear who was responsible for cooking, making beds, or washing dishes, but it is assumed that the tasks were well distributed among the team, ensuring that by 7 p.m., Paul Seixas would be in pajamas and could enjoy his cooked pasta. This general rehearsal in the dining room may reflect what could happen on the road, where the fourth-place finisher of last year's Tour de France will be the sole leader of the French team, supported by his team. Voeckler announced that Paul Seixas would be the leader of the French team on a selective course with elevation changes, stating, "I am not sure that this is news. I won't take you for fools and say that it might not be 'all for Paul.' There is an obvious fact: Paul Seixas, in full possession of his abilities and even if he wasn't at 100%, which is not the case, is above the rest in France on tough courses. All the other riders know this and are honored to work for him." Voeckler has selected a "balanced" team. The former Tour de France yellow jersey decided to exclude riders like Romain Grégoire, Lenny Martinez, and Benoît Cosnefroy, despite their recent injuries, to focus entirely on the gem of French cycling, Paul Seixas. Bruno Armirail will be the wheel sucker, Nicolas Prodhomme the loyal lieutenant, and Pavel Sivakov, Valentin Paret-Peintre, and Jordan Jegat will provide support in the climbs. Alexis Vuillermoz explained, "We have a balanced selection, with solid and experienced riders who can support Paul well and guide him. We also have riders who can be a bit more versatile. I think France is well prepared for different scenarios." Alexandre Geniez, who participated in the 2018 World Championships, believes that clarifying things from the start will make life easier for the team: "All the riders around Paul know their roles and have no leadership ambitions. He has taken on characters who will give everything to help him last as long as possible. I am not sure that everyone is ready to get on the board. In this team, he knows he will have 100% support for his project. We have one of the best riders in the world for this type of race, and we put everything at his disposal." One year after competing in the World Championships in Kigali, where he finished 13th, Paul Seixas now has the goal of climbing to the top of the podium in Canada, especially with Tadej Pogacar injured in the Vuelta. "We cannot rely on a one-shot strategy," said Geoffrey Soupe, who has participated in two World Championships with the French team. He is eager to see what plan Voeckler has prepared to put his brilliant satellite on orbit: "It remains a very long race (273 km) that calls for a certain type of rider. We cannot rely solely on a single attack, which only Pogacar can make. The more difficult the race, the more it will call for resistance and durability over time. If this scenario occurs, I think Paul will handle it best." Vuillermoz remains cautious about Voeckler's strategy, noting that the coach's clear statements suggest there might be something hidden: "Thomas is clever, more than intelligent, more than Cartesian. I think the race will bring us some surprises. Thomas didn't need to communicate that Paul would be the leader of the team, because everyone expected it, there is no surprise. Thomas is unpredictable. There is something that could play."