Paul Seixas will take on one of cycling’s most explosive climbs on Wednesday as he lines up for La Flèche Wallonne, eager to test himself on the brutal Mur de Huy.

The 19-year-old arrives in Belgium after a breakout victory at Itzulia Basque Country, where he dominated both the time trial and mountain stages.

Now he faces a different kind of challenge: a short, steep finish that often decides one of the Ardennes Classics.

The Mur de Huy is a 1.3-kilometer climb averaging 10 percent, with gradients hitting 17 percent in the final stretch.

"I'm here to test myself on this kind of terrain, and I've never gone up against the specialists before," Seixas said.

"I know I'm quite good at it, but I don't feel obliged to win here."

Despite playing down expectations, Seixas made similar comments before dominating Itzulia Basque Country.

"On the training ride I saw just how steep it is, really steep," he added.

Paul Seixas Targets Bigger Battles In Ardennes Week

Seixas suggested that a long-range attack could suit him better than a pure uphill sprint, with weather also expected to play a role over the 200-kilometer race featuring 11 climbs.

Key rivals include Mattias Skjelmose, Kevin Vauquelin and Romain Grégoire, while Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel skip the race to focus on Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Seixas is already looking ahead to that showdown.

"I never set off thinking second place would be alright. I'm one of the riders who can challenge them," he said.

His rapid rise has drawn comparisons with Pogacar, with Seixas becoming the youngest-ever winner of a WorldTour stage race earlier this month.

He will decide after Liège-Bastogne-Liège whether to target the Tour de France or continue his development elsewhere, with the Vuelta a España a likely option.