France, May 4 -- No homegrown hero has claimed the sport's most prestigious race since Bernard Hinault brandished the crown for a record-equalling fifth time in 1985.

"It is my childhood dream, something I've often dreamed about and now it's so close," 19-year-old Seixas said in a statement published by his Decathlon CMA CGM team.

"My results since the start of the season have given me a lot of confidence," added Seixas. "I feel ready and I will have ambitious objectives."

Setting out from Barcelona on 4 July, 20 stages will cover more than 3,300km before the finish on the Champs Elysees in Paris on 26 July.

In a video posted to social media by Decathlon, Seixas is shown visiting his grandparents in the eastern Haute-Savoie region nea...