Paul Seixas could skip 2027 Tour de France as bigger ambition takes priority
Paul Seixas has admitted he could skip the 2027 Tour de France, with the Giro d’Italia emerging as a serious alternative as the Frenchman looks to build his season around the World Championships on home roads.
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Fresh from a remarkable 2026 campaign that included a fourth-place finish at the Tour de France and a historic victory at Il Lombardia, Seixas is already considering how best to approach next season.
But while another appearance at the Tour might seem the obvious next step for the 20-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM rider, his biggest priority lies elsewhere.
The 2027 World Championships will take place in Haute-Savoie, with the men's road race scheduled for August 29 in Sallanches, close to where his grandparents live.
"It's at my grandparents' home. I've been looking forward to this for years," Seixas told RMC's Super Moscato Show on Monday.
"It's going to be incredible. I hope I'll be ready. That's definitely a date I've marked on my calendar."
That ambition could have significant consequences for his Grand Tour programme.
Asked whether he would return to the Tour de France next July, Seixas refused to make any guarantees. "I'm not 100% certain I'll be at the start of the 2027 Tour de France," he admitted.
Instead, the Frenchman is considering the Giro d'Italia, with even the prospect of winning the Italian Grand Tour entering his calculations.
The decision will ultimately come down to which race offers the best preparation for his attempt to win the rainbow jersey.
"We'll look at it with the coaches and decide which is the best option ahead of the World Championships," Seixas explained.
"Whatever Grand Tour I start, I'll have big ambitions. We have to find a way to combine those two objectives."
The timing presents an interesting dilemma. The Tour de France finishes on July 25, leaving just five weeks before the World Championships road race.
Riding the Giro in May would give Seixas considerably more time to recover and prepare specifically for the demanding course in Haute-Savoie.
Yet walking away from the Tour will not be an easy decision.
The recently unveiled 2027 route features several visits to Haute-Savoie, including a stage finish in Sallanches, the same town that will host the World Championships road race later in the summer.
For Seixas, the prospect of racing through a region so closely connected to his family is difficult to resist.
"The Tour passes through Haute-Savoie quite a lot, near my grandparents' house," he said. "Honestly, it really makes me want to do it."
Seixas expects to settle on his programme soon, once he has discussed the options with his coaches. The Giro route, which will be unveiled in Rome on Tuesday, November 3, should also help him make up his mind.
The uncertainty over his racing calendar comes as Seixas continues to weigh up his future beyond 2027. As he explained to RMC earlier this week, he is taking his time over a new contract despite interest from several of cycling's biggest teams.
Seixas acknowledged that the speculation surrounding his future is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Although he remains reluctant to rush into a decision, he knows the situation cannot drag on indefinitely. "There will come a point where I'll want to put this behind me," he said.
