Kooij, Hoole, Bol, Lund Andresen and Ghys to form new super sprint train at Decathlon CMA CGM: Here’s what they say

Kooij's transfer had been in the air for some time, and after Johannes Staune-Mittet and Tiesj Benoot, he is now the third rider from Visma | Lease a Bike to make the switch to Decathlon in a short period of time, where they are busy building a strong team for the coming years.

“I am really looking forward to join Decathlon CMA CGM in 2026 and a new chapter in my career. I look forward to start working together with the team on future goals and new challenges. We share great ambition to perform on the highest level which hopefully adds to many more victories in the coming years,” said Kooij in a short, formal response.

The Dutchman will probably be allowed to ride the Tour de France with his new team, which has not been possible at Visma | Lease a Bike to date. Kooij began his career in 2021 with Richard Plugge's team, where he also received part of his training, and has already recorded 46 victories among professional riders. Last week, he added three more to that number in the Tour of Britain.

The 23-year-old Kooij won three stages in the Giro d'Italia on behalf of Visma | Lease a Bike, which is not looking for a direct replacement and is promoting Matthew Brennan.

At his new team, Kooij will have access to a sprint train consisting of Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek), Cees Bol (XDS-Astana), Robbe Ghys (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Tobias Lund Andresen (Picnic PostNL), among others.

"I'm really excited to join Decathlon CMA CGM in 2026 for the next years,” said Hoole. "Time trials remain a big focus for me, and I’m determined to keep pushing my limits in this discipline while also growing stronger in the classics. I’m really looking forward to working together with Olav Kooij, and I believe we can achieve great things as teammates."

"I'm really excited to join Decathlon CMA CGM in 2026 for the next years. With the group around Olav we will have the ambition to win races at the highest level. Having raced in different roles over the years I hope to bring value to the sprint train as well as the classics group," said Bol

“ I feel honored to be able to take part in this long-term project. Over the next three years, I look forward to fully growing and committing myself to a key role in bringing success to the team. The trust I feel from this team gives me the sense of being at home. I’m really excited to start working toward the coming year,” said Ghys.

"I’m really excited to be joining a team with such great ambition. I want to become the best rider I can be, and I believe Decathlon CMA CGM will be the ideal team to help me take the next step. I race to win, and I feel that we share the same vision," said Andresen