Olav Kooij will make his Tour de France debut in the summer of 2026. The Dutch sprinter has left Visma | Lease a Bike to be the team leader for the ambitious Decathlon CMA CGM squad in the biggest race of the year. CEO Dominique Serieys is aiming high, with plans for Kooij to compete for the green jersey in the Tour de France.
On Thursday, the revamped Decathlon CMA CGM team will be presented to the media in Lille. The presentation opened with a speech from CEO Dominique Serieys, who in 2026 secured CMA CGM, a major multinational in overseas transport, as the title sponsor. Together with Decathlon, the company is providing a major investment and big ambitions.
"We are very proud of the results; these are no small achievements. After two years of building and consolidating, we are now entering a new era. We have clear ambitions, but we must remain humble. We need to maintain ourselves in the world’s top 5, across all areas," Serieys said.
Top-5 in Roubaix, Giro and Vuelta
"The five monuments are the team’s main pillar; we aim for a top-5 in Roubaix and a victory in one of the five monuments," he continued. "We also have major ambitions in the Grand Tours. We are targeting top-5 finishes in the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España with Felix Gall and Matthew Riccitello. And we have the ambition to compete for the green jersey in the Tour de France with Olav Kooij."
The new Decathlon CMA CGM jersey was also unveiled at the presentation. The green and blue colors from last season remain, with an additional red glow added to the chest.
Olav Kooij, Paul Seixas and Aubin Sparfel - photo: WielerFlits
