'Paul Seixas, please don’t sign for UAE' - Viral song captures cycling fans’ fears

Paul Seixas may only just have broken through, but he already finds himself at the centre of transfer speculation. A young German musician known as Killow has turned that storyline into a viral moment, releasing a tongue in cheek plea urging the French talent not to join UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the squad led by world champion Tadej Pogacar.

The song, titled “Paul Seixas, please don’t sign for UAE,” taps into a wider concern among fans that the sport risks becoming less compelling when its biggest stars join forces.

At just 19, Seixas is widely regarded as one of cycling’s most exciting prospects. His recent performances at La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège only strengthened that reputation, having already impressed earlier in the season at the Volta ao Algarve, Strade Bianche and Itzulia Basque Country.

His rapid rise has not gone unnoticed. UAE Team Emirates-XRG has reportedly been interested in signing Seixas at the end of 2027, viewing him as a potential long term successor to Pogačar. 

That possibility, however, has struck a nerve among fans, who fear it could unite two of the sport’s most dominant forces on the same team rather than seeing them compete against each other, ultimately diminishing the spectacle.

The speculation has even reached beyond the peloton. According to reports in Spain, French president Emmanuel Macron has made contact with Seixas’ management in an effort to keep the young talent within a French team structure. Macron has intervened in elite sport before, most notably in 2022 when he personally called Kylian Mbappe in a successful attempt to persuade him to remain at Paris Saint-Germain.

The reaction in France has been more cautious, with RMC Sport describing the story as a “crazy Spanish rumour.” Still, it underlines just how quickly Seixas has become one of the most talked about riders in the sport.

Against that backdrop of growing hype and speculation, Killow’s song offers a more light hearted take on the same debate.

What started as a simple idea quickly took off. The song has drawn over 25,000 likes on Instagram and tens of thousands of streams on Spotify, reaching far beyond its niche audience. Even professional riders have come across it, something that caught its creator off guard.

“I’ve been writing songs about cycling for a while,” Killow said in an interview with Sporza. “But I didn’t expect this one to spread like it did. Suddenly I’m answering interview requests.”

His connection to the sport goes back years. Growing up in Germany, he watched races with his father and regularly travelled to France, where he saw stages of the Tour de France live. Finding fellow fans his own age was not always easy in a country where football dominates, but that changed once he began sharing his music online.

“I realised there are plenty of people who follow more than just the Tour,” he says. “People who care about all the smaller races as well.”

That perspective is also reflected in the teams he supports. He has long followed the French outfit now known as Decathlon CMA CGM, drawn first by the kit and later by a preference for underdogs.

Whether Seixas has seen the video remains unclear, although the rider has been widely tagged and the clip has circulated within the peloton. Killow is realistic about the situation, but hopeful nonetheless.

“I assume he has come across it somehow,” he says. “But I understand he is not in a position to respond publicly.”

For now, the plea stands, half joking but rooted in genuine concern. “If he decides not to go to UAE,” Killow adds, “that would be more than enough for me.”