“Five years ago, I’d have said he needed to change teams. Today, he should stay” – Paul Seixas urged to lead Decathlon's new era amid UAE & INEOS transfer rumours

The speed of Paul Seixas’ rise has forced a conversation that was not supposed to happen this early. Still in the opening phase of his WorldTour career, the 19-year-old has already delivered results that place him among the most influential riders of the 2026 season.

That has inevitably brought attention from the sport’s biggest teams, but it has also shifted how his next step is being assessed. For former Team Sky rider and two-time Vuelta a Espana stage winner Nicolas Roche however, Seixas’ future doesn't necessarily require a blockbuster transfer.

Seixas was not expected to reach this level so quickly. Even within the sport, his trajectory was viewed as one that would take time to fully develop. “Paul arrived and immediately made an impact, differently from the others,” Roche said in conversation with Bici.Pro. “Last year we were already talking about him, but we saw him as a prospect for two or three years down the line. Instead, he confirmed his value already this year, both in stage races, dominating the Basque Country, and in one-day races. We saw what he did at Liège as well.”

Those performances have defined his season to date. Victory at Itzulia Basque Country, followed by success at La Flèche Wallonne and second place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, have established him at the front of the sport far earlier than anticipated.

That level of performance has naturally led to growing transfer interest from leading teams such as UAE Team Emirates - XRG and INEOS Grenadiers. For Roche, however, the equation is no longer as straightforward as it might once have been. “If you had asked me that question ten years ago, or even five years ago, I would have said he needed to change teams. Today I say he should stay.”

Rather than following the established path towards a so-called super-team, Roche pointed to the environment currently being built around Seixas. “The Decathlon team structure is reorganising very well. It is becoming more and more international, with important resources to build a strong team around him. I think he can grow there.”

Seixas’ emergence has shifted the dynamic within the Decathlon CMA CGM Team. Instead of developing within an existing hierarchy, he is now becoming the focal point for the team’s next phase. “When you have a talent like that, it becomes easier to attract high-level riders and convince them to come.”

That process is ongoing, and Roche stressed that structural change takes time to fully take hold. “It is a team that has existed for almost 40 years and has undergone a deep transformation, including on the technical and performance side. Some historic figures have left, and new people have arrived. It is an important change, but it takes time. It is not something you do overnight.”

Seixas’ rise also reflects a broader trend within French cycling, though Roche was clear that this is the result of long-term work rather than a sudden breakthrough. “In my opinion, it’s not magic. It takes years and years of work.”

For Seixas himself, that work has created a situation rarely afforded to a rider of his age. The performances already justify the interest from elsewhere, but they also allow him the option of continuing his development within a structure that is evolving alongside him. “He is so young that he can afford it, even if there is some risk.”

The decision ahead is no longer simply about reaching the top level. It is about where that next step should be taken, and whether leaving is even required at all.