Netcompany INEOS have an opportunity to turn Filippo Ganna's loss into a Paul Seixas win

Netcompany INEOS have not been short of GC riders. Thymen Arensman finished fourth in the Giro d'Italia this year, and the team still has Carlos Rodriguez, who was fifth in the 2023 Tour de France, under contract. Earlier in the season, Rodríguez had been earmarked among a trio of possible GC contenders for Ineos alongside Oscar Onley and Kévin Vauquelin.

Egan Bernal was blunt about it in the summer. Speaking to Marca, the Colombian made clear that he did not see that group as Grand Tour winners.

According to CyclingFlash, Bernal still backs the Netcompany INEOS project, which previously targeted Remco Evenepoel and now wants to bring in Paul Seixas. He also said: "With a solid leader who would receive the full support of the team, we can be one hundred percent certain to become the team we once were."

Seixas has only made himself more expensive since then. On October 10, just two weeks after turning 20, he won Il Lombardia 2026, becoming the youngest winner in the race's history.

The British team's interest is nothing new. In March, journalist Daniel Benson reported that INEOS had joined UAE Team Emirates-XRG in the chase. Around the Giro, Italian journalist Beppe Conti claimed that INEOS have placed an offer on the table above the one being prepared by UAE Team Emirates - XRG, according to CyclingUpToDate.

In September, Conti told RAI's RadioCorsa that Visma | Lease a Bike and Netcompany INEOS were prepared to offer around 10 million euros per season, Polish outlet Naszosie reported.

Geraint Thomas, who now works in the team's management, kept his answer open when he was asked about Seixas in May. "For now he is at Decathlon, but rumours like that are always circulating," Thomas said. "I hope he has not already signed for UAE!"

Seixas is under contract with Decathlon CMA CGM until the end of 2027, and if he chooses to leave, his signing with another team would not occur until 2028, as Brújula Bike notes. Ganna's departure clears space at INEOS for next season, but any Seixas deal would be about the season after that.

Decathlon are also fighting hard. Domestique reports that the French team have made an "XXL" offer and 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.

Over the summer they signed Pavel Sivakov, Ben O'Connor and, notably, INEOS's own Laurens De Plus, who is set to leave Netcompany-Ineos after six seasons and join Decathlon CMA CGM on a two year contract, Domestique reported in July.

Visma | Lease a Bike are the other big rival. Team manager Richard Plugge said during the Tour: "But if he decides to leave, we're the best team to win Grand Tours." We covered that pitch in Transfer specialist: 'Visma | Lease a Bike has a strong case in the Seixas saga’. According to Brújula Bike, the latest information from Italy placed Seixas outside of Decathlon in 2028, with Visma and INEOS among the main favorites to secure his signing. However, the same outlet stresses that there is no confirmation that Seixas has reached an agreement with any of his suitors.

A decision may not be far off. L'Equipe reports that Seixas will join his Decathlon teammates for a get-together in the French Alps from 19 to 23 October to plan for 2027.