Visma | Lease a Bike knows what it needs to do to sign Paul Seixas: 'I'm looking for a feeling, a connection'

Ever since Seixas won the Tour of Lombardy in October and capped off an incredible year with his first victory in a Monument, the talk in France and beyond has been almost entirely about the future of this super-talented rider. Although he has one more year left racing for Decathlon CMA CGM, after 2027 the door will be open for all the major WorldTour teams to come forward with their very best offers.

"I haven't made a decision yet," he emphasised in an interview in late October. He explained that two years ago, he deliberately signed a contract for only three seasons so that after 2027, he could take his time thinking about his future. “I promised myself I wouldn’t rush into signing a new contract,” he also said. He knows he’ll have to make a decision eventually, but that won’t be until after his vacation.

Although Seixas is riding two criteriums in Singapore and Japan, he emphasized from Asia that this has little to do with racing. “I’m still on holiday,” he said, and so he mainly wants to soak up the culture in new countries; consequently, he didn’t want to say much about his contract situation just yet. “I don’t really start until November 20; for now, I’m still taking the rest I needed and have.”

"I'm on holiday, so if I start talking about contracts right now, I'll go crazy," he said. "I have time to rest now and I'm not thinking about it at the moment. Maybe it will all become clearer to me when I think about it after my vacation. We'll see what the future brings, but I'm giving myself some time. Nothing is certain yet, so sometimes I have to laugh a little at the articles I come across."

Seixas doesn't find all the questions about his contract particularly bothersome. “That’s part of the sport; it’s normal for people to talk about what’s going to happen. That’s good, because it means people are interested in me and want to know where I’m going. Personally, I do find it a bit pointless at times, because there’s no certainty right now.”

"I'm not really sure what I want; that's a tough question. I'm looking for a feeling, a connection. I want to feel truly connected to a team, to people I really like. Ultimately, that’s what matters most,” said Seixas about the decision he has to make. And those decisions aren’t limited to a future team, but also extend to his schedule in 2027.

In 2026, Seixas won the Flèche Wallonne, the Tour of the Basque Country, and Il Lombardia, among other races, but he wants more in 2027. He has learned from his mistakes, such as the cramps he suffered at the World Championships. And he’s realised that in races like Strade Bianche and Liège, he still fell short against Tadej Pogačar. “In the end, I did win a Monument—that’s what I’m focusing on.”

As expected, it remained unclear whether he will compete in the Tour de France again in 2027—where he finished fourth in his debut this year—and where he will race next. The Giro d'Italia also appeals to the Frenchman, but for now, it's time for a vacation...