Oliver Naesen sees Decathlon CMA CGM change with Olav Kooij: “We caught the trend”
Oliver Naesen kicks off his season on Friday at the Tour de la Provence. The 35-year-old Belgian was for years one of the lead riders on the predecessors of Decathlon CMA CGM, but that is now history. The current leaders are riders like Felix Gall, the very young Paul Seixas, and—as soon as he recovers from his virus—newcomer Olav Kooij. His environment has changed drastically, but that does nothing to diminish his motivation. The passionate enthusiast tells WielerFlits this on camera.
We speak with Naesen at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Benidorm, Spain. At that moment, Naesen is preparing with the classics squad of the team for the new season. With the arrival of major sponsors like Decathlon and CMA CGM over the past two years, the team has transformed significantly. “Let me put it this way: We have followed the trend for years, but a bit lagging behind. And in the last two years, we really stepped up the pace. We might have even caught up with the trend. It’s great to be part of that. Things are moving fast.”
Joy in a new role
Along with that, Naesen’s role within the team is different from before. No longer responsible for results as a finisher, but someone who supports the leaders. “That change is, of course, just the natural course of things. I’m turning 36 this year, and that’s not the age when most big successes are still achieved. My role has always been dual. Earlier, of course, I was the leader in the spring when there was no one better and had sort of a captain’s role in the Grand Tours. Now, that second part has become bigger, and that first part much smaller to almost non-existent. And that’s perfectly fine by me.”
“If you really keep your feet on the ground, can look at yourself objectively—I think I can—and can also assess others and yourself objectively, then it’s actually no problem,” he explains. “It hasn’t been a problem for me either. I have done everything I could. I was—okay, in debatable terms—still successful at my modest level. And I think I should be happy with that, which I am. And then I can only applaud that in the autumn of my career the team can attract better riders. So that I can still—may I call it a lower role—be part of the success story. I think I have to see that as the victory in the autumn of my career.”
High expectations for Olav Kooij
Naesen expects a lot from Paul Magnier and Matthew Brennan this coming spring—“I think even a blind person could see that”—but sprinter Olav Kooij also belongs in that group, according to Naesen, provided he recovers from his virus in time. WielerFlits asked Decathlon CMA CGM about The Cheetah of Numansdorp, but the French team could not provide an update yet. They already withdrew him mid-January from the UAE Tour. “I’m really looking forward to racing with Olav. At Visma | Lease a Bike, he never really had the leadership role in races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Gent-Wevelgem.”
“With us, that will absolutely be the case, with reason and justification. Provided he is fit, of course. To guide him through that and hopefully be able to play a key role, that would be fantastic for me personally. And besides that, we have Tiesj Benoot joining, who as a one-day racer is a top-10 rider in the world. So we can go into the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège with confidence. But of course, there’s also Tadej Pogačar... I think if we have realistic, legitimate ambitions, we might close out the spring with a few wins. I would only find that fantastic.”
The experienced Belgian does regret that he normally doesn’t go with Kooij to the Tour de France. “I have never experienced that. After ten years racing the Tour, I really don’t know what to do in July now. I would have liked to have been there. The chance is high that Olav wins one or more stages there. I think it’s really cool to be part of that. I also enjoy riding with a sprinter in such a train, at the lead-out position. But Olav has already brought his entire train with him. On the other hand, Felix Gall definitely needs me at the Giro d’Italia.”
“Still, it’s super motivating to race with Olav,” continues the experienced Belgian, who already has most of his calendar planned for the year. It’s so important for a team to have a major sprinter. If you look at the big four sprinters—that’s Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, Jonathan Milan, and Olav. He’s by far the youngest. He has his feet on the ground, is very down-to-earth and humble. At the same time, he’s confident, which is completely justified. I really think it’s very cool that he’s with us. And I think he really has great cards in hand to become a very big part of the success story.”
