“If he asks to come to us, I wouldn’t say no” - UAE openly court Paul Seixas as battle for French superstar’s future intensifies
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates - XRG have made no secret of their admiration for Paul Seixas, with team principal Mauro Gianetti confirming there has already been contact with the Frenchman's agent as speculation over his long-term future gathers pace.
Seixas remains under contract with Decathlon CMA CGM Team until the end of 2027 and has already confirmed he will stay with the French team next season. What happens beyond that point is far less certain, with several of the biggest teams in the WorldTour watching closely after a breakthrough campaign that has established the teenager among the sport's leading young riders.
Asked about the prospect of eventually bringing Seixas to UAE, Gianetti was hardly dismissive. “If he asks to come to us, I wouldn’t say no,” he told Daniel Benson.
Gianetti also acknowledged that there has been a brief conversation with Seixas' agent, although he does not expect the 19-year-old to settle his future any time soon.
“The impression is that he will not decide his future so soon,” Gianetti said. “I have no idea whether he will come to us; that is difficult to say. The decision is his, not the team's.”
Paul Seixas ahead of Il Lombardia 2026
Decathlon fighting to keep their biggest talent
The uncertainty beyond 2027 has already made Seixas one of the most sought-after riders in the peloton. UAE are not alone in being linked with him. Team Visma | Lease a Bike have also publicly acknowledged their interest, while other major teams have been mentioned throughout the year as Seixas' value has continued to rise.
Decathlon, meanwhile, have spent much of the season making clear that they intend to keep him. Team manager Dominique Serieys has repeatedly backed Seixas as a future Tour de France winner and insisted the French team can provide the environment for him to reach that level. After Seixas finished fourth on his Tour debut this summer, Serieys was equally bullish about the next step, declaring: “Paul will win with us.”
The team have also strengthened around their young leader and will move their paying-agent structure to Switzerland from 2027, a change that could give them greater financial flexibility as negotiations over Seixas' next contract develop.
Seixas himself has so far refused to be rushed. He confirmed last month that he would honour his existing deal through 2027, ending any suggestion of an immediate move, without committing his future beyond it.
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From breakthrough talent to Monument contender
The interest surrounding Seixas has followed an extraordinary second professional season. He won La Flèche Wallonne and Itzulia Basque Country, finished second at both Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and then reached Paris fourth overall on his Tour de France debut.
His season is not finished yet either. Seixas starts Il Lombardia on Saturday among the leading contenders for the final Monument of the year, having already finished seventh on his debut in 2025. With five-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar absent, the Frenchman is among those with a genuine opportunity to leave Como with the biggest one-day victory of his career.
None of that makes a move to UAE inevitable, and Gianetti stopped well short of claiming otherwise. Seixas still has another full season with Decathlon before his current contract expires, while the French team are already working to convince him that his future should remain there.
What has changed is that UAE's interest is no longer something being discussed only through transfer rumours. Gianetti has acknowledged contact with Seixas' camp himself and, when asked whether there might eventually be room for him alongside Pogacar and Isaac del Toro, his answer left very little doubt that the door would be open.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- C’mon, don’t follow in Horner’s footsteps. At least he had the courage to post HIS prediction ahead, I didn’t see many others disagreeing or claiming it was ridiculous.Mistermaumau10-10-2026
- @SLO: Your ridiculously rude language about riders makes it really hard to read your consistently condescending comments. "BS losers," how is it ok to talk about people like that? Also, you truly sound like you do not understand that this is a team sport, where del Toro rides for his leader and therefore doesn't follow his attacks. We can all agree that we are watching a once in a generation (really, a once in a century) rider in Pogačar, and that's great, but come on, you don't have to be a jerk when it comes to other riders. It's clear that I prefer to praise the positive in what I see, mostly because I am in awe of what these humans can do (including the ones who don't win), but your negativity about anyone but your idol is just so very very exhausting.RidesHills10-10-2026
- Huh??? You’ve obviously forgotten all the contrary you’ve been trying to sell us the last weeks. Shall I dig some out for you?Mistermaumau10-10-2026
- Doesn’t sound like it from his post-race interview. That old record you’re still playing is starting to jump a bit too often.Mistermaumau10-10-2026
- Sorry but who is this guy? If HE doesn’t know that « much » about Seixas by now, I’m recalibrating my opinion of his finish line questioning. As for PS, the most amazing thing about him so far is not what he’s won or almost won at this age, although that’s already phenomenal, it’s how consistent, numerous and long this seasons’ results have been. I don’t think there’s ever been a 19/20 year old quite as developed. Of course, you can’t expect development at this level to go backwards in time but it’s amazing to witness a rider you assume won’t be able to keep things up forever prove you wrong.Mistermaumau10-10-2026
- I agree, it was a good feeling to end the season this way... and only hope the knee injury held Del Toro back. Some how I have a feeling it wasn't just that... I wish my feelings are wrong.PogiSloFans10-10-2026
- Seixas is an amazing rider. Remco disappointed. Del Toro should rather have withdrawn if he had an injury linked to over-training. Anyway, a satisfying end to the season.Hills3310-10-2026
- History books won't care who had good legs or bad legs, or who did or didn't get laid last night; what the history books say is that Del Toro and Remco are two losers, while Seixas is a Monument winner at the age of 20. Let's not forget who was the only one that could follow Pogi in Strade Bianche. Paul Seixas, not Del Toro. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans10-10-2026
- History books don't care who had good legs or bad legs, or who did or didn't get laid last night; what the history books say is that Del Toro and Remco are two BS losers, while Seixas is a Monument winner at the age of 20. Let's not forget who was the only one that could follow Pogi in Strade Bianche. Paul Seixas, not Del Toro.PogiSloFans10-10-2026
- Del Toro has a knee injury.Hills3310-10-2026
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