"What is going on here?" - Paul Seixas' reluctance to renew with Decathlon questioned by Bruyneel and Martin
Cycling
Paul Seixas' current contract ends at the end of 2027, and discussions over his future in professional cycling have been ongoing for months. Decathlon CMA CGM Team are pulling out all the stops to renew with the French star, but it is not certain yet that will will succeed.
"But Paul Seixas, in my opinion, if he really wanted to stay at Decathlon he should just just sign a contract right now," Spencer Martin said on The Move podcast. "Sign five years like we see what UAE does all the time. But Pogacar and del Toro just extended through like 2032. But Paul Seixas says, you know 'up until now, I've spent my whole career chasing after contracts'."
"'Every time I put in a good performance, people would tell me you need to sign a new deal. But when I signed my new contract two years ago, I promised myself I wouldn't rush into the next one because mostly I'm fed up with it'. And then he says, 'I think there'll be a moment where I get the right feeling and I know it's the right decision'."
Effectively, the Frenchman's interview with RMC confirmed that he has not yet reached an agreement with any team beyond the 2027 season, and that a departure from Decathon CMA CGM Team cannot therefore be excluded.
Paul Seixas has not yet signed a new deal with Decathlon CMA CGM Team
Is Paul Seixas' future at Decathlon at doubt?
"Right there, though, it's like so you're, you're saying that you don't know yet that you want to extend with Decathlon. That would be the assumption there. What is going on here?" Martin questioned.
"I thought this was a little bit of - what are they called - a tempest in a teapot, like something made out of nothing. But you know, it's like, well, actually what is going on here?"
The French team has increased its budget significantly into the 2026 season, which already allowed it to sign several new key riders into the team. Matthew Riccitello, Tiesj Benoot, Olav Kooij and Tobias Lund Andresen have all been successful moves.
The team has recently confirmed the addition of three experienced climbers who can support Paul Seixas' large ambitions: Ben O'Connor, Pavel Sivakov and Laurens de Plus.
Bruyneel believes Seixas is in his ideal team
"Personally, I think it's still personally I think it's the best way the best team for him right now to be on and they're definitely making a lot of efforts," Johan Bruyneel argued. The Belgian pundit questions Seixas' statements, perhaps with a second intention.
"We don't know if it's a game to still increase the price. I think whatever the price is for Paul Seixas, you know, it's going to be slightly less than Pogacar. So I would guess six, seven million, in my opinion, as base salary".
"He will get that on any team that can come up with that budget. That's the asking price is not the issue. So, yeah, I mean, he would have signed already, if he would stay on Decathlon".
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Decathlon has, furthermore, changed its license so that it benefits from Switzerland's tax benefits. That way, Paul Seixas would receive a larger percentage of his brute salary, making the offer more attractive from the French team.
"I was quite confident that he would stay. You know, Decathlon, they've done a lot of efforts [...] They've hired a lot of good riders, they've changed their residency to Switzerland to get out of the French system, which was penalizing for them..."
Will that be enough to keep the 20-year old onboard during the next transfer period? Several teams will be on Seixas' heels to try and sign the leading figure of the upcoming generation.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- He didnt. Apart from the vuelta(and even that to some extent is B tier riders) he only rode C tier races.miguel31-10-2026
- The medics who let Tadej walk right past the stretcher that was waiting as he sat on the road must also be relieved that he's able to train now. Maybe they too had a sense of disbelief at what was happening.Hills3331-10-2026
- That's what I've been telling these delusional fools, that are are completely blinded by their own beliefs and unrealistic fantasies. Pogi could have beaten Remco with ease, but he just didn't want to. First: he was working for Del Toro and went his tempo ... Second: if Pogi decided to attack, Remco would have no chance. Ad acta!!! PS: BS-ers like leedorney or frieders3 & company, are living in their own world, in a parallel universe.PogiSloFans31-10-2026
- why do we need to scroll for ages after each article to get to the comments section? ah, yes… we need to know every little detail about the amazing career of the ‚author‘. again and again …Ketterechts31-10-2026
- good point. depends on who shows up, and if Remco is able to be TdF Remco or Lombardia Remcomij31-10-2026
- it is so funmij31-10-2026
- Seriously? A second article on the same quote?
Rafionain-Glas31-10-2026 - This shows, I think, how the points distribution is skewed in the wrong way. Brennan definitely had a more successful season than Jorgenson.Rafionain-Glas31-10-2026
- you need to see it again then. Many times del toro and seixas mogged and dropped jonas. UAE and pogacar didnt even bother about jonas and honestly completely humiliuated and made fun of Jonas stage 2-3...stage prior to jonas crahsed del toro and seixas also dropped him. No idea what race you saw honestly :/miguel31-10-2026
- Or that he's been advised to recover to a certain level first before thinking about the TourHills3331-10-2026
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