Oliver Naesen to miss Tour de France for first time in 10 years, plus the latest from Decathlon CMA CGM
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Follow us on GoogleOliver Naesen will, after ten consecutive years, normally not start the Tour de France in 2026. The Belgian rider from Decathlon CMA CGM will ride the Giro d’Italia after the Belgian spring classics alongside general classification leader Felix Gall, who plans to rely on the experience of the cheerful Flemish rider on the flatter stages. Naesen told IDLProCycling.com at the team’s media day.
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The 35-year-old Naesen rode the Tour from 2016 to 2025 ten times and finished the French race in all but one edition (he did not complete the 2022 race). At both Decathlon and its predecessor AG2R, he was generally responsible for supporting GC leaders like Ben O’Connor, Romain Bardet, and now Gall. The latter will be the team leader at the Giro next year, and Naesen will also be there if all goes according to plan.
The Belgian will begin his season at the Tour de la Provence and then — as every year — contest the bulk of the Belgian races. Naesen says he is looking forward to interacting with sprint leader Olav Kooij: “It seems great to me to ride on a team that gets to enjoy champagne now and then,” said the ever-talkative Belgian.
After Roubaix, the focus quickly turns to the Giro, where he will support Gall in the trickier moments. The Austrian is not known as a strong bike handler and will thus depend on Naesen, who hopes the Giro will be one with not too much rain. Tobias Lund Andresen becomes the sprint leader for the French team in Italy.
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Benoot to Tour for tenth time
Tiesj Benoot will ride the Tour de France after all. He chooses his familiar programme of recent years, starting with the Algarve Race and the Opening Weekend races. In contrast to former teammate Wout van Aert, the ex-winner (of what the article doesn’t specify) is not choosing a return to Strade Bianche, instead planning a training camp at altitude to be in top form from E3 Saxo Classic through Liège–Bastogne–Liège. In the Ardennes, Paul Lapeira and Aurélien Paret-Peintre will also start.
“Those are the races that matter for the team and me,” Benoot told us. The always-present Belgian expressed hope of winning a great race in 2026, but also hopes to be involved in the finales of the big classics again, where he has strung together podium places in recent years.
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What else do we need to know about Decathlon CMA CGM’s programs?
Olav Kooij was absent from Decathlon CMA CGM’s media day due to a viral infection — and will likely also miss the UAE Tour. Normally, he would have also ridden some of the Belgian classics with his leadout train of Daan Hoole, Cees Bol, and Robbe Ghys. Kooij will also make his Tour de France debut in July, in which the team aims for the green jersey and stage wins.
Stefan Bissegger told IDLProCycling.com that he, like Hoole, will again be part of the core group in both the spring and the Tour at Decathlon CMA CGM. The Swiss rider was eighth at Paris-Roubaix last year after Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar went clear following a puncture occurring at the same moment as Mads Pedersen’s.
Paul Seixas will begin his season — as known — in the Algarve and will also ride Strade Bianche, the Tour of the Basque Country, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Afterwards a decision will be made whether the French top talent will ride, for example, the Tour de France or the Vuelta a España. In the Spanish race, new signing Matthew Riccitello will also certainly participate, along with Gall and Léo Bisiaux.
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- I’m still figuring out cyclocross: do the riders use the same bikes for the grass, sand and mud, or change them during the race?jeremya02-11-2026
- £50 seems a bit steep for a day out, though I suppose it’s a major event and the demand is clearly there. Do family tickets make it much more affordable?tourdeforce902-11-2026
- Fifteen thousand is a serious crowd for a World Cup round. Glasgow could be a huge moment for British ‘cross if Mason can get near the podium again.jennifer1902-11-2026
- Those junior races are a great addition — it gives young riders a proper spotlight before the elites take over. Hope the course makes the most of the park rather than just being a muddy spectator scrum!samanthak02-11-2026
- Fantastic to see cyclocross getting this kind of response in Scotland. A packed Kelvingrove Park should make for a brilliant atmosphere, especially with Mason racing on home roads.raceready702-11-2026
- No explanation after 15 years feels a bit thin. The budget pressure may be unrelated, but it’s hard not to wonder if all these changes are connected.samanthak02-11-2026
- I’m still learning how team directors work—does the head sports director decide race tactics, or is that mainly down to the riders and the person in the team car?velodromevirtuoso102-11-2026
- A proper changing of the guard at EF, especially with Carapaz going too. Hope they don’t lose the team identity in the reshuffle.cadencekingm02-11-2026
- White coming back just before Wegelius leaves makes the timing look significant, even if EF haven’t said there’s a connection. Interested to see who gets the head DS role.raceready702-11-2026
- Fifteen years is a huge stint in modern cycling. Wegelius’ knowledge of EF and its riders will be hard to replace.robert6502-11-2026