Decathlon CMA CGM Team Manager Dominique Serieys smiled and made a relaxed gaelic shrug when Cyclingnews asked him about Visma-Lease a Bike joining the list of teams keen to sign French super talent Paul Seixas. He has become used to his rivals trying to entice his star rider away and seemed to have his own strategy in place to ensure that Seixas stays a Decathlon rider beyond 2027.
"We're confident," Serieys told Cyclingnews at the Decathlon team bus.
"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."
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Seixas' agent Joona Laukka is the most courted rider agent in the Tour de France team paddock but he is also staying tight-lipped on Seixas' future and any financial and performance demands he may have.
The 19-year-old is under contract with Decathlon until the end of 2027 but his recent success, his talent and his potential to be France's next Tour de France winner, have made him the centre of a transfer frenzy amongst the biggest teams the peloton. Some teams perhaps don't have the funds, the riders or performance structure to back Seixas' Tour ambitions but team managers seem to be suffering with fear of missing out, or Seixas FOMO.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG have long been linked to Seixas, with several sources telling Cyclingnews that some kind of informal agreement is in place for Seixas to join the team for 2027. Seixas could become Tadej Pogačar's heir apparent but it is unclear what that means for Isaac del Toro's long term future at UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
Netcompany Ineos, Lidl-Trek and Pinarello Q36.5 have all reportedly thrown their hats in the ring and perhaps courted Laukka. Netcompany could convince TotalEnergies to extend and increase their sponsorship if they can sign Seixas.
The usually well-informed Daniel Benson reported on his substack that trusted sources have told him that billionaire Pinarello Q36.5 owner Ivan Glasenberg is ready to offer Seixas €13 million a season, which would make him the highest paid rider in the peloton, above Pogačar's estimated €10 million earnings.
Serieys has dismissed that offer to Cyclingnews, telling us that he has spoken to Glasenberg, who denied making the mega offer.
On Wednesday, Visma Lease a Bike Team Manager Richard Plugge made it clear he would like to sign Seixas and modestly suggested Visma is the best place for him to challenge for the Tour de France due to their 10 Grand Tour victories with four different riders.
“Of course everyone wants to talk to Seixas, we have a current team leader in Jonas, but we have to look to the future,” Plugge told Dutch television channel NOS.
"I spoke to him last year in Tignes. We were both at the Tour de l'Avenir and there was brief contact there. He is with Decathlon CMA CGM and still has a contract there. He must abide by it and we must follow the rules as well. We are not working on anything concrete right now, but if he decides to leave, we are the best team to train him to win Grand Tours."
Contract negotiations between Seixas and Decathlon were apparently put on hold during the spring and now will not restart until after the Tour. A good result in July could raise Sexias market value even higher.
"The plan is for the negotiation period to be from the middle of August until the end of September. Nothing before,” Serieys told Benson.
Felix Gall will reportedly move to Lidl-Trek for 2027 but Decathlon are set to sign Pavel Sivakov from UAE, with Ben O'Connor expected to return to the French team in a key super domestique role for Seixas and protected Grand Tour rider.
Sexias has been working with his coach Alexandre Pacot since he was 15 and Decathlon are also strengthening their performance team around Seixas and the Tour de France project.
Both Decathlon and CMA CGM are keen to keep Seixas on board, with French President Emmanuel Macron ready to use his political influence to ensure Seixas rides for a French team when he is ready to fight for France's next Tour victory.
Deputy Team Manager Mathieu Charpentier told Le Parisien this week that retaining Seixas beyond 2027 is a "strategic priority".
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