Paul Seixas leads Decathlon CMA CGM of the future in Algarve

Decathlon CMA CGM aims to compete for the overall victory in the 2028 Tour de France. Over the past two seasons, they have brought in several young talents to shape that goal. Three of them will be the GC leaders in the upcoming Volta ao Algarve 2026: Tour de la Provence winner Matthew Riccitello, top prospect Paul Seixas, and Johannes Staune-Mittet.

The trio will be supported in the Portuguese Pro Series stage race by experienced rider Oliver Naesen and his compatriots Sander De Pestel and Stan Dewulf. Frenchman Jordan Labrosse completes the squad. Riccitello started the season strongly last weekend by immediately taking the overall win at the Tour de la Provence. The fifth-place finisher of the recent Vuelta a España will aim for leadership in that same Spanish Grand Tour later this year.

As for Paul Seixas, he may make his Grand Tour debut at this summer’s Tour de France. “I think he’s ready,” Naesen said to WielerFlits last week. “Paul is really good. If he’s not ready, then I don’t know what I have been doing in the Tour ten times already (laughs, editor’s note). But being ready to win is another matter. We understand that, but in France, they clearly do not. That is a problem for such a young rider.”