“Paul Seixas and Tadej Pogacar on the same team? It would be more than a dream” - UAE break silence on transfer rumours

The rapid emergence of Paul Seixas has quickly moved beyond results and into something far bigger. In a matter of weeks, the 19-year-old has gone from one of cycling’s brightest prospects to a rider shaping conversations at the very top of the sport, with questions already being asked about where his long-term future lies.

Those discussions have now reached the doors of UAE Team Emirates - XRG, where the idea of pairing Seixas with Tadej Pogacar is no longer being dismissed out of hand.

Speaking to Cyclism’Actu, team manager Mauro Gianetti acknowledged both the scale of Seixas’ talent and the growing attention surrounding his future.

“It’s extraordinary to see a rider with such clear talent,” Gianetti said. “His start to the season is impressive, physically but also in terms of character. He is a new phenomenon, like Tadej, Van der Poel, Evenepoel or Vingegaard.”

Gianetti stopped short of suggesting any concrete move, but his comments confirmed what many in the peloton already suspect: Seixas is firmly on the radar of cycling’s biggest teams. “Of course, all teams are watching what he’s doing. But it will be his decision,” he explained. “Right now, he is in a very good team.”

That growing attention has not been universally welcomed. Former rider Joaquim Rodriguez recently admitted he hopes such a move does not materialise, pointing to how transfers like Juan Ayuso’s move away from UAE have helped open up races rather than concentrate control within a single team.

The attention is being driven by performances that have quickly shifted expectations around what a rider of his age can achieve.

Riding for the Decathlon CMA CGM Team, Seixas has already shown he can compete with and beat established Grand Tour contenders. His second place overall at the Volta ao Algarve, where he challenged Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida, was followed by a dominant display at the Faun-Ardeche Classic.

Gianetti pointed specifically to Seixas’ performance at Strade Bianche as further proof of his level. “What he did at Strade Bianche was extraordinary,” he said.

Even against Pogacar, the benchmark of the current era, Seixas was able to follow the initial move longer than any of his rivals before eventually finishing second after distancing Isaac del Toro on the final climb.

Those results have elevated him from emerging talent to a rider already shaping the future direction of the sport, and one that teams are increasingly aware they may only get one chance to sign.

It is in that context that Gianetti addressed the possibility of bringing Seixas into the same structure as Pogacar. “It would be more than a dream,” he said.

The comment reflects both ambition and reality. Seixas is already being viewed internally at UAE as a rider capable of fitting into a team built around the sport’s dominant figure.

But that possibility also feeds into a wider debate across the peloton, with questions continuing to surface about how far the concentration of talent at the very top should go.

Gianetti’s wider comments suggest a more cautious approach when it comes to developing young talent. “We want them to stay in their environment, close to their families, and to continue their studies. That is the priority,” he said. “At that age, the most important thing is to avoid mistakes: training too much, eating badly, progressing too quickly.”

That perspective introduces a natural tension. On one side is the opportunity to join the most successful structure in the sport. On the other hand is the argument for stability, leadership and controlled progression.

For now, Seixas remains in a position that offers all three. At Decathlon, he is already a leader, already racing for results, and already building his career on his own timeline rather than within an established hierarchy.

Whether Seixas ultimately stays or becomes the centre of a transfer battle remains to be seen. What is clear is that he is part of a broader shift within the peloton.

Alongside him, riders such as Juan Ayuso continue to emerge as potential challengers to Pogacar’s dominance, while the overall level across the sport continues to rise. Gianetti believes that the future will be shaped by riders capable of competing across multiple fronts, just as Pogacar is doing today.

For now, though, the focus remains on a single question that is no longer being asked quietly behind the scenes, but openly across the sport. What does Paul Seixas do next?