“Next year I’ll just be riding for Decathlon CMA CGM” – Paul Seixas confirms 2027 stay but leaves long-term future unresolved
CyclingMonday, 17 August 2026 at 11:30
Paul Seixas has confirmed he will remain with Decathlon CMA CGM Team in 2027, ending speculation over an immediate move while leaving his future beyond the end of his current contract unresolved.
After an extraordinary second professional season culminated in fourth place on his Tour de France debut at just 19 years old, Seixas has inevitably become one of the most closely watched names on the transfer market.
“Next year I’ll just be riding for Decathlon CMA CGM,” Seixas confirmed in an interview with WielerFlits at the Etten-Leur criterium. “For me that is a certainty, because I still have a contract until the end of 2027.”
His existing deal expires at the end of next season. Seixas has therefore settled where he will race in 2027 without making any commitment over 2028 and beyond.
Seixas’ remarkable 2026 raises the stakes for Decathlon
Major WorldTour teams were already being linked with Seixas by March following his spectacular start to 2026. It was widely reported at the time that the leading WorldTour teams had expressed interest should Seixas become available, with UAE Team Emirates – XRG particularly strongly linked. Talks over improving and extending his Decathlon contract had meanwhile been paused during the spring.
Seixas finished second behind Tadej Pogacar at Strade Bianche and went on to win Itzulia Basque Country and La Fleche Wallonne, as well as taking second at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Seixas arrived in Barcelona as the youngest rider to start the race since 1937 and with no previous experience of competing for three weeks. He nevertheless finished fourth overall, stayed in contention for the podium until the final mountain stage and produced top-five results across both climbing stages and the individual time trial.
The Frenchman has also emerged from that experience convinced there is considerably more development to come. “I fought for the podium until the last day. That was a really nice experience, especially when you consider that it was my first time racing for three weeks,” he said. “I look back on it positively, especially because I learned so much about my body.”
Seixas admitted the accumulated mental strain eventually became more difficult than the physical demands as he spent three weeks protecting a high general classification position. "At the end of the Tour, I noticed that it became harder mentally than it was in the legs,” he explained. “If you are nervous about the stages every day for three weeks, it takes its toll.”
Despite that unfamiliar pressure, there was no significant third-week collapse. Seixas ultimately completed his first Grand Tour behind only Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Isaac del Toro.
2027 is settled, but 2028 remains the key question
Seixas has now explicitly committed himself to honouring the final year of his current Decathlon CMA CGM contract in 2027, but has made no commitment beyond it. As early as March, L’Equipe was reporting that his deal, which runs through 2027, had become one of the major talking points around the Frenchman as rival teams assessed whether he could eventually be tempted away.
At the beginning of 2026, Seixas was an exceptional prospect coming off victory at the Tour de l’Avenir and eighth place at the Criterium du Dauphine. By August, he had won at WorldTour level, beaten established stars in major one-day races and demonstrated that he could survive three weeks at the Tour while fighting near the podium.
For Decathlon CMA CGM, keeping him represents considerably more than retaining a talented young French rider. Seixas has already shown enough to be considered a potential future Tour de France winner, while his age leaves open the possibility that his best years remain well ahead of him.
Whatever speculation develops during the coming months, Seixas expects to race the 2027 season with Decathlon CMA CGM Team. The unresolved decision is what follows when his current contract expires at the end of that year.
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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- I single out Postal and everyone associated - I don’t believe the other dopers took measures to destroy people who criticized them, unless I’m mistaken.Crashjames17-08-2026
- Best wishes for next year, young man, as you finalize your contract with the **CMA CGM Team**. But for 2028, don’t chase the money—chase the **legacy**. Join EF Education–EasyPost; hopefully by then they’ll have a sponsor big enough to afford you! They’re the kind of team that could build a team around your growth and give you the weapons to take down Pogi and Del Toro. The money will come eventually, but **legacy lasts forever—and maybe you can finally bring France another Tour de France champion after more than 40 years!wambo17-08-2026
- I don't know, maybe you're right about the podium in TdF, but if Seixas and Del Toro keep improving at this rate, it's gonna be tough.PogiSloFans17-08-2026
- Hmm, the butterfly effect sounds interesting.Hills3317-08-2026
- He finishes top 10 and maybe a podium on a stage. Can't see him beating Tadej for sure.mij17-08-2026
- that's what I would call a word salad, that makes no sense.Crashjames17-08-2026
- Does Pinarello just pick up the best riders they want from Ineos and then end that relationship, focusing on their own team? Their own brand?mij17-08-2026
- Yes, I was thinking he could have gone straight for all the GTs. The level at the top would not have been quite so competitive to start with.Hills3317-08-2026
- I hope Coquard can win a stage. He was needlessly trashed last year during the tour with Jasper's crash.mij17-08-2026
- agreed. and to the "oh, I'm so proud of him prioritizing his family crowd", he can do so because of (a) the 5 million he makes and (b) his employer doesn't hold him accountable. the haters on here will say "don't knock him for making his priorities his family". well my # 1 and only priority is my family. I'd love to be around them, but I haven't made enough money in 1 year to buy investment properties and retire for life. I get it that he is injured, but his story is exhausting. The only thing I disagree with is your podium comment. He could make it back on.mij17-08-2026
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