Decathlon CMA CGM heads to classics without Benoot and Kooij: "We are realistic too"

For Decathlon CMA CGM, expectations for the classics were high at the start of the year, but injury news surrounding newcomers Tiesj Benoot and Olav Kooij has dealt a blow to the French team. Team director Heinrich Haussler admits this to the camera of Wielerflits. "We go in with high expectations and ambition, but we are also realistic," he says.

"The same names will still dominate with Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar, who also wants to win Roubaix," says Haussler. That the team wants to compete for the prizes in the monuments will therefore not be quickly announced. "It will be difficult, but we do have a broad selection. We want to use our squad depth to race aggressively and position ourselves well for opportunities."

Tobias Lund Andresen
"These days, those races are so tough... In the Tour of Flanders, the big riders start attacking 70 or 80 kilometers from the finish. Then sometimes you can only fight for fourth or fifth place," admits 41-year-old Haussler. Who should the newcomers’ most attention be focused on? "Tobias Lund Andresen has started his season well in Australia, and we also have Daan Hoole – and Stefan Bissegger – who have already shown strong form. We expect a lot from them."

Furthermore, the French squad still has recognized spring riders such as Oliver Naesen and Stan Dewulf in its ranks, as well as Dutch sprinter Cees Bol. But for now, don’t look for Benoot and Kooij. Due to a hernia and a lingering virus, they are sidelined. "That’s really a blow for the team," acknowledges the Australian team director.

"But someone like Andresen will step up. We want to be ready right away and build confidence during the Opening Weekend. Other teams are also missing various riders that weekend, due to injuries, illness, and a rough winter. We want to seize that opportunity immediately. As a team, we want to be there and keep pushing forward."

Taking advantage when the top riders are absent
"And in races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, and later in an event like Dwars Door Vlaanderen, not all the top riders will be at the start," Haussler emphasizes. This is where Decathlon CMA CGM wants to make its mark. "That is one hundred percent our plan. We want to be competitive across the board and ideally hope for bad weather conditions to exploit our numbers and go for a top result."

Haussler has plenty of experience in the spring classics. He has repeatedly finished in the top 10 in 'De Ronde' and 'Roubaix'. In the 2009 Tour of Flanders, he even finished second, after also placing second earlier that year in Milan-San Remo. "Because of my experience in the classics, I know anything is possible. I continue to believe that. The favorites can puncture, crash, get sick, or have a bad day... Especially in Dwars Door Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelgem, and Paris-Roubaix, anything can happen if, for example, the wind suddenly shifts. We have to believe in that."