Article by Luminița Paul – Published Tuesday, April 14, 2026 7:16 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, April 14, 2026 7:22 p.m.
Paul Seixas (19 years old), one of the most talented young cyclists of the moment, will remain with the Decathlon team – a contract extension in which an important role belongs to the French President Emmanuel Macron himself, as happened in the case of Mbappe-PSG.
He is not yet 20 years old, but this 2026 season reinforces the opinion of insiders who claim that Paul Seixas is one of the most valuable and promising young drivers of the moment. This year's program was built on a progressive model towards the key objectives of the spring, Bianche and Liege-Bastogne-Liege streets.
In February he won the second stage of the Algarve Tourbeating them on João Almeida and Juan Ayuso. He finished the competition in second place overall, and ten days later he won the classic Faun-Ardeche with a solitary escape of over 40 kilometers.
Immediately, it was compared to Tadej Pogacar for precocity and courage. In March, at Strade Bianche, he was the only one to try to follow the Slovenian in the attack launched with 79 kilometers to go. He crossed the finish line secondand in April he continued his excellent streak with two stage wins in Basque Country Tour.
The youngster is under contract with the Decathlon CMA CGM team until the end of next year, but his name has recently been floated in connection with UAE Emirates. Interest that sporting director Mauro Gianetti recently admitted. “Should we join Pogacar and Seixas? It would be more than a dream. Like all other teams, we are very careful about what he does and his future, but ultimately the rider decides where he wants to go“, said the official.
Emmanuel Macron's intervention to keep Seixas
At this point, Emmanuel Macron would have intervened in this situation. According to Eurosport Spain, during the Tour of the Basque Country, the French president would have offered his full support to the Decathlon team to be able to deal with the renewal of Seixas' contract. In addition, he spoke directly to the Lyon-born road manager.
No data is known about how much his new salary could reach, but it would be one of the most impressive of the moment – not far from the 8 million euros that Tadej Pogacar receives.
Emmanuel Macron and Tadej Pogacar in the Tour de France 2025 Photo: Imago Images
Macron and the Mbappe case: “The president calls you and asks you to stay”
President Macron is an avid cycling fan, making frequent appearances during the Tour de France. Last year, for example, he closely watched Tadej's victory in Hautacam: he accompanied the race in an official car, then participated in the award ceremony.
France are longing for a winner in Le Tour, 41 years have already passed since the last Gallic champion, Bernard Hinault in 1985. Could Seixas be the one to take over the baton of success?
Until then, back to Macron, it wouldn't be the first time he gets involved in a sports operation. In 2022, he was instrumental in extending Kylian Mbappe's contract with PSG. “He called me and said: «I know you want to leave, but you are important for France and I would not like you to leave. You have a chance to make history here. Everyone loves you.” I told him I appreciated the gesture. It's really crazy. The president calls you and asks you to stay“, recalled the French star, who, after that conversation, changed his decision to leave for Real Madrid, where he arrived two seasons later.
