ANALYSIS: Why Paul Seixas could turn his back on the 2027 Tour de France, and the goal that changes everything
Cycling
French cycling could be without its great hope at the start of the 2027 Tour de France. Paul Seixas, Decathlon CMA CGM’s young star, has yet to decide whether he will return to cycling’s biggest race after finishing fourth on his debut at just 19. His priority lies elsewhere: winning the rainbow jersey at the Haute-Savoie World Championships, which will be held in France, close to where his family grew up. That decision could completely reshape his plans for next season.
The rider himself has admitted that his place in the Grande Boucle is not guaranteed, and that the Giro d’Italia is also an option. It is no small decision. Seixas is coming off an extraordinary season in which, alongside his Tour performance, he won Il Lombardia, becoming the youngest winner in the history of the Italian Monument.
Now, having just turned 20, he must choose the path that will allow him to keep progressing without rushing his development.
The decision will be especially important for Decathlon CMA CGM. The French team has a rider tipped to become one of world cycling’s leading figures, but it must also manage his racing calendar carefully. The goal for 2027 will not simply be another strong result in a Grand Tour: Seixas wants to arrive in the best possible shape for a World Championships with special significance for him.
Paul Seixas on stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France
The Haute-Savoie World Championships take priority over every other race
Seixas has cleared up one of the biggest questions surrounding his schedule: the 2027 World Championships will be his main priority. The event will take place in Haute-Savoie, on French soil, with the road race scheduled for 29 August. There is also a personal reason behind the young rider’s motivation.
“It’s where my grandparents live. I’ve been looking forward to this for years. I hope I’ll be ready. I’ll definitely ride,” he said of the World Championships in an interview with RMC.
His words make clear that this is no ordinary race on his calendar. Seixas will have the chance to ride a World Championships in France, close to his family and in front of fans who already see him as French cycling’s great hope. After his breakthrough at the Tour de France and his victory at Il Lombardia, expectations surrounding him have risen even further.
The challenge is that the World Championships date directly affects his preparation. The 2027 Tour de France will end on 25 July, while the World Championships road race is set for 29 August. There will be only five weeks between the two events.
That gap means carefully weighing the effects of racing for three weeks in July before beginning a specific build-up for late August. Seixas is still developing as a rider, and his team does not want to make a decision that could jeopardise his performance at the goal he considers most important.
That is why his place on the Tour start line is not assured. The Frenchman has made clear that he would like to ride the race, but he is not prepared to sacrifice his main goal of the season because of the calendar.
“I don’t know, for now”: the Tour de France is no longer a priority
The possibility that Seixas might skip the 2027 Tour de France gained traction after his comments on RMC. Asked directly whether he would be on the start line, he gave a firm reply: “I don’t know, for now.”
It is not a definitive rejection, but it is a sign that Decathlon CMA CGM is seriously considering other options. The rider explained that the decision will depend on discussions with his coaches and on what offers the best preparation for the World Championships.
The 2027 Tour route also has plenty to appeal to him. The race will pass through Haute-Savoie, near where his grandparents live, and the Frenchman admitted that this part of the route particularly appeals to him. However, the location alone does not guarantee his participation.
“The Tour route inspires me. It passes through Haute-Savoie a lot, near my grandparents’ home. Honestly, it makes me want to ride,” he explained.
That tension is precisely what makes his plans so compelling. Seixas has both sporting and personal reasons to return to the Tour, but he also knows that the race could complicate his preparation for August’s main goal. The Frenchman does not want to give up the chance to fight for the yellow jersey in the future, but he also seems unwilling to make riding the Grande Boucle an obligation every season.
His 2026 debut was already extraordinary. He finished fourth overall, just over two minutes off the podium, and remained in contention near the front until the closing days. The result showed he can compete at the highest level over three weeks, but he also acknowledged that the experience taught him just how demanding a Grand Tour can be.
Paul Seixas, Decathlon CMA CGM’s world-class star.
The Giro d’Italia emerges as an alternative route to the World Championships
The other possibility Seixas is considering is making his Giro d’Italia debut. The Italian race takes place in May and would allow him to tailor his build-up differently for the World Championships at the end of August.
The Frenchman himself has not ruled out this option. Asked whether he might ride the Italian Grand Tour, he explained that “winning the Giro is something I could consider.” He also noted that any decision would have to be made together with the team.
The two options differ significantly. If he rides the Tour, Seixas will face a three-week race that ends in late July, barely five weeks before the World Championships. Choosing the Giro would give him more time to recover, train and prepare specifically for the event in Haute-Savoie.
| Aspect | 2027 Tour de France | 2027 Giro d’Italia |
| Dates | 2–25 July | 8–30 May |
| Time before the World Championships | About five weeks | Approximately three months |
| Main appeal | Return to the race after finishing fourth in 2026 | Take on a new Grand Tour with more time to prepare |
| Main challenge | Recovery and specific preparation for August | Give up another Tour appearance |
| Status | Participation not confirmed | Option acknowledged by the rider himself |
The Giro could also offer him a different sporting opportunity. After finishing fourth in the Tour de France, Seixas already knows he can fight for the top places in a Grand Tour. In Italy, he could take on a fresh challenge, with the route still to be assessed in detail and without the immediate pressure to repeat his result in France.
However, that does not mean the Giro has been chosen. The rider has stressed that his programme is still undecided and that he will assess the options with Decathlon to determine which is best.
A decision is expected at the team’s December training camp. That is when the team can determine which Grand Tour best fits the Frenchman’s preparation.
Decathlon must manage its star without rushing his development
Seixas’s case is also a challenge for Decathlon CMA CGM. The French team has one of the peloton’s biggest talents on its hands and must find a way to support his development without demanding immediate results in every major race.
His 2026 season has raised expectations enormously. He won La Flèche Wallonne, took the overall title and several stages at Itzulia, and ended the year with a historic victory at Il Lombardia. He also finished fourth in the Tour de France, confirming his ability to compete over a three-week race.
He claimed 11 UCI victories in total during the season. That is an extraordinary tally for a rider still taking his first steps among the elite, and one who has shown he can excel in both stage races and one-day events.
The temptation to make him the team’s outright Tour leader straight away is understandable. France has waited decades for a home-grown winner of the Grande Boucle, and Seixas has become the leading candidate to end that drought. However, his sporting development requires more than simply meeting outside expectations.
The rider himself has said that pressure does not stop him working as normal. Speaking to Cyclingnews, he said he does not view the expectations surrounding him as a distraction and is happy with the path he has started on. He also acknowledged that his first Tour experience taught him a great deal about the demands of a three-week race.
Planning for 2027 will be another test for the team. Decathlon must decide whether it is better to repeat the Tour experience or use the Giro as preparation for a World Championships that Seixas has placed above every other race.
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His contract situation adds another question mark to the planning
The calendar is not the only issue surrounding the young Frenchman’s future. His contract with Decathlon CMA CGM runs until the end of 2027, and his rapid progress has attracted interest from several teams.
Seixas has been linked with some of the peloton’s leading teams in recent months, although he confirmed that he will remain with Decathlon in 2027, honouring his existing contract. There is therefore no immediate prospect of him leaving the French team, but important negotiations will need to take place ahead of the following seasons.
In an interview published by Le Parisien on 7 November, Seixas again made clear that he has not decided what to do about his future. He said he does not want to focus on contract talks yet and would rather enjoy his time off before returning to the subject.
“If I start talking about contracts here, I think I’ll go crazy,” he explained. He also said he is looking for “a feeling, a connection” with whichever team he rides for in the future, adding that it is essential for him to identify with the people around him.
The statement is significant because it shows that money and sporting opportunities will not necessarily be the only factors shaping his next contract. Seixas wants to find an environment where he can continue to develop and build a relationship based on trust.
For Decathlon, keeping him will clearly be a priority. The team has built much of its sporting ambition around his talent and knows that retaining him long term would cement one of the most important projects in French cycling.
A decision that could shape the future of French cycling
The 2027 season could be a turning point for Seixas. After finishing fourth on his first Tour de France and winning a Monument, the Frenchman has a chance to take another step forward. This time, however, he will not have to prove only that he can compete with the best in a Grand Tour.
The World Championships in Haute-Savoie offer a rare opportunity. He will contest the biggest national-team race on the calendar in his home country, close to his family, with a chance to fight for a title that could make him one of the leading figures in international cycling.
His decision about the Tour will have sporting and media implications. If he returns to the Grande Boucle, he will have to manage a demanding recovery before the World Championships. If he chooses the Giro, he will temporarily forgo cycling’s biggest stage but gain more time to prepare for the August event.
Seixas has not made his choice yet. What he has made clear is that he does not want expectations to make the decision for him. France dreams of its young star becoming the next Tour winner, but the rider himself has other immediate goals.
In 2027, he could move closer to that ambition without returning to Paris. His priority is Haute-Savoie, and for the first time since his breakthrough at the top level, the Tour de France may not be part of his plans.
The key point is that Seixas has not ruled out the Tour; he has admitted that he does not yet know whether he will ride it. The Giro is a genuine alternative, while the World Championships are his declared priority. A decision on his race programme is expected in December.
Jorge BorregueroWriter
Jorge Borreguero is a journalist with a degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a writer for Cyclinguptodate and Ciclismoaldia since early 2023. In this role, he has played a key part in the evolution of the website, particularly as a specialist covering Movistar Team. He regularly writes race reports, analytical pieces, and in-depth features about the team, and has conducted exclusive interviews and attended multiple team presentations, providing readers with firsthand insights into one of the leading professional cycling squads.
Throughout his career, Jorge has maintained a strong focus on sports journalism, gaining experience across a variety of disciplines, including basketball and football. However, his current work is almost entirely dedicated to cycling, contributing extensively to Ciclismoaldia and its sister website Cyclinguptodate. For these platforms, he combines thorough research with detailed reporting to deliver high-quality content, ranging from race previews and results to expert analysis of teams and riders.
Jorge’s reporting is marked by accuracy, depth, and a commitment to providing readers with reliable and authoritative information. His direct engagement with teams, athletes, and events ensures that his coverage reflects firsthand knowledge and professional insight. Through his work, he has established himself as a trusted voice in professional cycling journalism, bridging the gap between the sport and its global audience while maintaining rigorous editorial standards.
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- This wouldn't make sense, he is close to retirement and doesn't have a spare year to feel out a new team.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- Technically it is "strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching into the sprint and, in so doing, endangering others". But: 1. Marie did not endangered anyone. 2. Above rule 2.3.036 is a Road Cycling rule not CX. 3. In Cyclocross we have only not well defined "irregular sprint" without description what would that mean. But even if you use 2.3.036 for CX it is still wrongly applied rule.averagecyclist10-11-2026
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