Paul Seixas' season is over and so he could soon decide his team for beyond 2027

Paul Seixas ended his 2026 season with victory at Il Lombardia but the French super talent can't enjoy the off-season just yet, due to a series of events and possibly a final decision and announcement regarding his team for 2028 and beyond.

Seixas quickly headed to the South of France after his Il Lombardia triumph and rode the Roc d'Azur mountain on Sunday bike event for some end of season fun. He attended a Van Rysel bike event on Monday, with an annual medical check-up with Decathlon CMA CGM planned for Tuesday.

According to L'Equipe, Seixas will join his teammates for a get-together at the Service Course in the French Alps between October 19-23 to plan for the 2027 season. He is unlikely to attend the 2027 Tour de France presentation in Paris on October 22 but will travel to Asia as a star of the Tour de France criteriums in Singapore on November 7 and 8 and Saitama, Japan on November 15.

Somewhere in between these obligations, Seixas is expected to decide his long-term future. If he decides to stay with Decathlon CMA CGM, his expected multi-million Euro new contract could be confirmed very soon. It could make him the highest earning rider in the sport, above Tadej Pogačar, due to his potential to take on and defeat the Slovenian in the years to come.

If Seixas decides to leave Decathlon after 2027 and move to UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Visma | Lease a Bike or Netcompany-Ineos, transfer reports and rumours would run and run, with any formal announcement only coming later in 2027. 

UAE have extended Pogačar's and Isaac del Toro's contract but UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti said recently: "If he asks to come to us, I wouldn't say no." 

Decathlon team manager Dominique Serieys revealed that contract negotiations were expected after the Tour de France and Decathlon have reportedly made Seixas an "XXL" offer. They also moved the team's management company to Switzerland to employ riders as contractors, save massively on French tax and social security contributions and so be able to offer Seixas even more.

Seixas' agent Joona Laukka has refused to comment on their plans for beyond 2027, with the former Finnish rider telling L'Equipe in the summer: "Paul will decide, and especially when he will decide, because he is in no hurry."

Seixas seemed to prefer to focus on his racing and let his success boost his contract value and interest from teams.

“It’s not something I have to decide quickly; I think I still have time. I prefer to enjoy my season rather than think about that," he told L'Equipe in July.

Decathlon have helped Seixas as much as possible and have promised further investment in riders to strengthen the team around Seixas and in performance support. Romain Bardet will become the team's sports manager and a training support centre is being created near Seixas's base in Nice. 

"Our job is to put everything in place to convince him that the best place to continue progressing and winning is with us," Charpentier told Le Parisien on Monday.

"What more could he get anywhere else than with our team? We're also going to continue strengthening our processes in nutrition, innovation, and artificial intelligence. And lots of little things in terms of equipment."

Seixas is already looking forward to 2027 but always avoids saying anything about his long-term future.

"Thanks for all your work, the riders and all the staff, for everything you did here and all season," Seixas said to his teammates and staff after winning Lombardia.

"We finished on a high, winning a huge Monument, we all deserve to enjoy this. But it's just the beginning, we'll be back for another great season. Let's hope for more like this."