"A blind person could see their talent": Oliver Naesen can't wait to follow Brennan, Magnier and Kooij at the Classics

Oliver Naesen's opened his 10th season with Decathlon CMA CGM Team this Friday with a start at Tour de la Provence, his only preparation race before the lengthy spring Classics block. Yet over the decade, both the team and Naesen have changed. The French formation stepped out of it's own shadow thanks to ambitious partner Decathlon, shifting from mediocrity to a contender for the title of top-5 team in the world.

Thanks to the investment, Decathlon was able to bring aboard a long list of talented cyclists including Olav Kooij, Paul Seixas or Matthew Riccitello.

As the longest serving rider of a team that has been known as AG2R La Mondiale the past decade, Naesen witnessed the evolution of his team up close. It was not just about finances, but also the way of working had to adapt quickly to the demands of current cycling. Otherwise the sponsors would be simply throwing resources out of the window.

"Let me summarize it this way: We've been following the trend for years, but lagging behind a bit," Naesen admitted when speaking to WielerFlits. "And in the last two years, we've really accelerated. And we've perhaps caught up with the trend a little. That's really exciting to be a part of. Things are moving fast."

However the rapid growth has also meant that the role of Oliver Naesen - two-time Bretagne Classic and Milano-Sanremo runner-up - has been reduced from a leader to mostly that of a road captain over the years.

"That change is, of course, a natural progression. I'll be 36 this year, and that's not the age at which most major successes are still achieved. My role has always been twofold. It used to be, of course, leader in the spring when there was no one better, and a kind of captain's role in the Grand Tours. Now, the second part is becoming more important, and the first part is becoming much smaller, to the point of non-existent. And that's perfectly fine with me."

"If you're truly down-to-earth, can look at yourself objectively - I think I can - and can objectively assess others and yourself, then it's not really a problem," he explains.

"It hasn't been a problem for me either. I've done everything I could. I've been - okay, in debatable terms - successful at my modest level. And I think I should be happy with that, which I am. And then I can only applaud the fact that, in the autumn of my career, the team can attract better riders. So that I can still be part of the success story - may I call it in a lesser role? I think I should recognize the victory in that in the autumn of my career."

Speaking of the up and coming generation, Naesen is particularly interested in Paul Magnier and Matthew Brennan as powerful sprinters with the makings of becoming successful also on Naesen's home turf - the cobbles.

"I think a blind person could still see that," he points out. But Decathlon's newest acquisition, sprinter Olav Kooij is also among the wonderkids who could be turning heads this spring. Provided he recovers from an illness that delayed his season start.

And Naesen will be more than happy to help Kooij leave his mark in some of the less selective races: "I'm really looking forward to racing with Olav. At Visma | Lease a Bike, he never really had the lead in races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, and Gent-Wevelgem."