Paul Seixas contract saga reaching climax - Decathlon lay down offer as Visma interest lingers as rider considers contract
Cycling
Paul Seixas's long term future could be decided in the coming days as the French rider's contract and transfer saga reaches a climax. Turning 20 last week, the Decathlon CMA CGM rider is one of cycling's hottest properties after finishing 4th place in the Tour de France as a teenager and winning several major races in a stellar 2026 season.
Daniel Benson reports that Decathlon have recently tabled their contract offer and vision for the 20-year-old sensation in the hopes of sealing their leader's long-term loyalty to the French team.
Meanwhile, the reporter also states that Visma | Lease a Bike - long term admirers of the Tour de France fourth place finisher - are lingering with interest. Elsewhere, it appears UAE Team Emirates - XRG's interest in a transfer has wained despite strong initial speculation around the Emirati squad's plans for Seixas.
Seixas's current deal doesn't expire this winter, but carries him through to the end of the 2027 season. However, his meteoric rise has resulted in added urgency to secure his services for the future as several WorldTour teams, as well as ProTeam Pinarello Q36.5 earlier in the summer.
Paul Seixas
Decathlon make changes before Seixas offer
His future and its speculation has seen Decathlon register a new paternal company in Switzerland, aiming to reduce expenses related to the higher level of social security contributions that are associated with French contracts. Something that weighs on heavily on all French teams.
The move is thought to afford the team greater ability to entice Seixas with a larger contract than they could afford before, levelling the playing field when it comes to interest from other teams.
Speaking during the Tour de France, team boss Dominique Serieys claimed Seixas should back their team as the perfect place for him to both develop and win the Tour.
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“The conviction Paul needs to have"
He said: “We have identified the components we need and how the team has to evolve. Today, a team is built with a lot of support riders, and not only for the Tour de France.”
“The conviction Paul needs to have, and that we already have, is that he will win with us. He has already won races. We will continue to strengthen so that we can be better than the others.”
While a long-term contract offers security for both parties, Serieys stressed that even such a deal would still cover just the early part of his career given his young age.
He added: “People need to remember that Paul is 19. Whatever the length of the renewal, whether it is three years or five, he will only be 23 or 24 at the end of it.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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