French teen prodigy Paul Seixas courted by multiple WorldTour teams during Tour de France

Nineteen‑year‑old French cyclist Paul Seixas, who claimed his first professional victory on the Volta ao Algarve and has already taken seven wins this season, is attracting intense interest from several WorldTour squads. Visma‑Lease a Bike, UAE Emirates‑XRG, Red Bull‑Bora‑Hansgrohe, Ineos, Lidl‑Trek and Pinarello Q36 are reported to be preparing multi‑million‑euro offers, with some media suggesting deals as high as €13 million per season.

Decathlon CMA‑CGM, Seixas’s current team, is working to retain the rider. Team CEO Richard Plugge told NOS, “Of course, everyone wants to talk to Seixas… We believe he has the best chance with us to start winning Grand Tours.” The French outfit is also juggling tactical choices in the Tour, balancing protection of Seixas for the general classification with supporting sprinter Olav Kooij. After three stages, the squad noted early mishaps – punctures, earpiece problems and positioning issues – but remained confident, with Belgian rider Tiesj Benoot noting “We stayed calm in the finish” and team manager proclaiming “Tous les voyants sont au vert.”

Seixas’s performances, including a podium finish at Strade Bianche and strong showings in Liège‑Bastogne‑Liège against world champion Tadej Pogačar, have heightened his market value and prompted a bidding war among the sport’s top teams.