Decathlon's plan to attract Paul Seixas: signings, patience, and a clear message, "he can win the Tour with us"

The future of Paul Seixas has become one of the major soap operas in the cycling market following his spectacular emergence in 2026. At just 19 years old, the Frenchman has made an outstanding debut in the Tour de France, where he finished fourth in the general classification, just behind Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, and Isaac del Toro. A performance that has sparked the interest of some of the most powerful teams in the peloton.

Decathlon prepares the offensive to secure Paul Seixas against the interest of the big teams

However, at Decathlon CMA CGM, they do not seem willing to lose the great hope of French cycling. The team's general director, Dominique Serieys, has revealed what the strategy will be to convince Seixas to renew his contract and continue leading the sports project of the French formation.

Negotiations will begin after the break

Although Seixas's contract extends until the end of 2027, the team wants to start working as soon as possible on a long-term extension. However, without rush.

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Serieys explained to Le Parisien that conversations will not begin until the rider has been able to recover physically and mentally from the Tour de France.

“Unlike the teams trying to sign him, there is no pressure or fixed schedule among us. First, Paul will take at least two weeks to rest with his family and friends before returning to training. After that, between mid-August and early September, we will start talking.”

The French director insisted that all the pressure surrounding the rider's future comes from outside and not from the team itself.

“The pressure comes from the media and also from those trying to attract him. We want to keep calm. Paul requested that this matter not be discussed during the Tour, and we have respected that.”

Building a winning team around Seixas

Decathlon's great asset will not only be an economic improvement. Serieys made it clear that the real argument to convince the young Frenchman is to show him that he can win the Tour de France without leaving the structure.

To this end, the team is already working on strengthening the roster.

The head of Decathlon CMA CGM confirmed that in September, between four and five signings will be announced to strengthen the block that will surround Seixas in the grand tours.

“We have identified what pieces we need and how the team should evolve. Nowadays, a great team is built with many support riders, not just thinking about the Tour de France.”

His message to the rider was even more direct.

“The conviction that Paul must have, and that we already have, is that he can win with us. He has already shown that he can win races, and we will continue to strengthen ourselves to be better than the others.”

Within that project, the recent addition of Romain Bardet as the head of the team's sports area will also play an important role, a figure who will help consolidate the sports evolution of the French formation.

A talent that the big teams are sighing for

The extraordinary Tour of Seixas has caused practically all the big teams to be linked with him in recent weeks.

The director of Visma Lease a Bike, Richard Plugge, publicly praised the Frenchman during the race. There has also been talk of the interest from UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Netcompany-Ineos, while various reports even pointed to a proposal close to 13 million euros per season from Q36.5-Pinarello, although it has never been officially confirmed.

Seixas already downplayed the rumors during the Tour

The rider himself also wanted to downplay all the speculation during the French race.

“I don't have social media, so I don't see much. But I have heard many things that are false.”

Seixas acknowledged that there is enormous interest surrounding his future, although he avoided giving credibility to the figures that have been published.

“It is evident that a lot of noise has been generated around me, I cannot deny it. But I am not going to say that those huge contracts being talked about exist. Right now, I am focused on what I do on the bike.”

Moreover, he recalled that he has no need to decide immediately.

“I haven't even seen the contracts. I still have the entire next season with the team, so I have time to think about my future. What I can say is that within the team, I feel very well supported.”

With that support as the main argument, Decathlon CMA CGM will face negotiations that could mark the future of French cycling. The French formation is convinced that their young star can become the first French winner of the Tour de France since Bernard Hinault without needing to change colors, and has already set in motion a plan to show him that his future can also be written dressed in Decathlon.