Tour of Italy. In a different register from Seixas, Paul Magnier, the other phenomenon of French cycling.

With two wins in the first three stages, Paul Magnier, the young Soudal Quick-Step rider, confirms that he is indeed, at only 22 years old, one of the best sprinters on the planet with a wide range of skills that should also allow him to shine in the classics, complementing Seixas, who is more of a climber.

Magnier, a tall brunet standing at 1.87 meters, was originally known as a good climber in juniors before transitioning to the heavyweight category due to his hearty appetite and a tendency to build muscle quickly.

If it took him some time to discover his passion, it’s also because this hyperactive individual started cycling relatively late, around 14 years old, gravitating towards mountain biking after trying “10,000 sports” before that.

He was born on April 14, 2004, in Laredo, Texas, where his parents Sabine and Laurent, a former amateur rider, were living as expatriates. After spending his first four years in the United States, he returned to France, initially playing handball and tennis, and skiing a lot in Grenoble where he still resides with his parents after attending a sports-study program in Voiron and the VTT France center in Besançon.

“The new Tom Boonen”

His early road cycling experiences, which he initially disliked, began at the Charvieu-Chavagneux club before moving abroad to the British Trinity team and eventually joining the Belgian Soudal Quick-Step team in 2024.

From the start, he impressed his teammates like Tim Merlier, whom he beat in a sprint during his first training camp, and Julian Alaphilippe, who took him under his wing. His sports director Tom Steels quickly saw him as the “new Tom Boonen,” the legendary cobblestone specialist capable of dominating the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

“The comparison holds. A tall guy, very explosive, with great endurance. We expect a lot from him. He could become a great champion,” Yves Lampaert mentioned in early 2025, as Magnier had already achieved five victories in his first pro season, despite ending with a “blackout” at the Tour of Britain due to a severe fall.

The prophecy would overwhelm many, but Magnier, as laid-back as he is confident, never made a big deal out of it. He barely recognizes the former cycling legends – “I know more about Jul than Tom Boonen,” he said in a recent documentary by L’Équipe Explore.

“I hope I am the future”

And while making comparisons, he would like to have a profile similar to Mathieu van der Poel, his contemporary and another cobblestone magician. “The soul of the classics, the tough races, suits me well,” he explained to AFP last winter. In the meantime, Magnier excels in sprints, securing 19 victories in 2025 – only Tadej Pogacar did better.

Each time, he demonstrates his nearly beastly power, which contrasts with his sunny personality. Outgoing, smiling, comfortable in interviews, courteous and talkative but often late, the young man from Isère, in a relationship with Orlane, a cycling influencer, exudes a certain nonchalance and genuine freshness backstage.

But on a bike, he assures, he is a “hard worker.” Already a leader of his team despite his young age, especially after Remco Evenepoel’s departure to Red Bull this winter. His biggest dream is to one day become world champion when the courses are flatter than those offered in recent times. At the Giro, where he secured his 28th victory last Sunday, he received congratulations from Arnaud Démare, the French sprint reference in recent years, who retired at the end of 2025.

“I hope I am the future,” said the Var native who, more than ever, represents the present of French cycling.