Paul Seixas has say on future at Decathlon-CMA CGM amid speculation at 2026 Tour de France - 'There is obviously a buzz'
Updated 08/07/2026 at 21:33 GMT+1
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Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) stressed that he is "staying focused" on the ongoing 2026 Tour de France, amid interest from rivals who are eager to add the 19-year-old to their roster when his contract expires next year.
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Visma-Lease a Bike general manager Richard Plugge confirmed earlier this week that they want to sign the Frenchman, who is making his Tour de France debut this year, while other teams are also rumoured to be interested.
Seixas has emerged as one of cycling's brightest young talents this year, winning the Tour of the Basque Country and La Fleche Wallonne.
He has been tipped as the potential next challenger to Tadej Pogacar, and he sits 10th in the general classification standings after five stages of this year's Tour.
But despite the rumours flying around, Seixas says cycling is his sole focus at the moment.
"I haven’t seen the contracts yet," he said on France TV's post-stage Velo Club show, per Domestique. "I still have a good year to do with the team next year, and time to think about what I want to do with my future. In any case, you can see that within the team I am well-supported."
He added: "Honestly, I think with everything that is going on around me, there is obviously a buzz. I can’t deny that.
"But I’m not going to say that there are enormous contracts, as we have seen reported. For now, I am staying focused on what I am doing in cycling."
According to Cyclingnews, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Ineos Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek and Pinarello Q36.5 have all also expressed interest in bringing Seixas on board at some point.
Decathlon-CMA CGM are said to be prepared to offer Seixas a sizeable salary to stay put, with contract talks reportedly on hold until after the Tour.
And Decathlon-CMA CGM general manager Dominique Serieys said the team are "confident" in retaining the services of Seixas beyond 2027, which is when his contract runs out.
"We're confident," Serieys told Cycling News. "We're focused on helping Paul at the Tour de France and he has a contract for 2027. Everyone else can say what they want, we will do our thing."
Decathlon's deputy team manager Mathieu Charpentier told Le Parisien earlier this week that tying down Seixas to a long-term contract is a "strategic priority".
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Should he have success in his home Grand Tour, Seixas could be in a position to demand a huge salary from whichever team he fancies, given the strong start he has made to his career and the potential many believe he has.
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If Seixas becomes available, Plugge believes Visma could be the best place for him to fulfil his promise.
Visma are currently led by two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard.
On Wednesday, Seixas' Decathlon team-mate Olav Kooij claimed victory in the first sprint stage of the 2026 Tour de France.
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