He’s back! Olav Kooij sprints to stage win in Boucles de la Mayenne comeback

Olav Kooij brightened his debut for Decathlon CMA CGM with a victory. The Dutch rider claimed the first road stage of the Boucles de la Mayenne on Thursday, only his second race day of 2026. He beat Alessio Magagnotti and Anthony Turgis in the bunch sprint. Matthew Brennan, one of the other favorites for the stage win, finished only eleventh.

The day after Julius Johansen won the prologue, the Boucles de la Mayenne’s first real stage took place. The 172-kilometer stage led from Saint-Berthevin to Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne. The roads were rolling, but riders did not face any truly challenging climbs. A bunch sprint seemed the most likely outcome. With riders like Olav Kooij, Mads Pedersen, and Matthew Brennan, there were plenty of contenders.

Although a bunch sprint was written in the stars, five riders took off early in the stage. Attack specialist Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché) was the biggest name in the breakaway of the day. The group gained a maximum lead of two minutes.

With just under forty kilometers to go, Veistroffer dropped his breakaway companions. He held a minute and a half lead over the peloton, where Visma | Lease a Bike and Decathlon CMA CGM shared the workload. The Frenchman could not hold off the pack alone, leading to the anticipated bunch sprint.

Kooij strikes immediately
Lotto-Intermarché led the sprint in the final few hundred meters. They tried to set up Vito Braet, but Mads Pedersen launched his sprint from far out. The Dane faded, however. And who took advantage? Olav Kooij. In his first race for Decathlon CMA CGM, the Dutchman struck convincingly right away.

Première victoire pour Olav Kooij sous les couleurs de Decathlon CMA CGM !

Le Néerlandais s'est imposé sur la première étape des Boucles de la Mayenne #LesRP pic.twitter.com/5BWezWGY0T

— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) May 29, 2026