"At Visma Olav Kooij was largely self-reliant" – Lead-out legend says Decathlon support could turn Dutch sprinter into world’s fastest

Olav Kooij’s move to Decathlon CMA CGM Team has created a big stir for 2026 — and few people understand his potential better than Michael Morkov. According to the Danish national coach, the 24-year-old is stepping into an environment that could finally show just how fast he can really be.

Speaking on the Café Eddy podcast, Morkov said the contrast between life at Team Visma | Lease a Bike and the support structure waiting for Kooij now is enormous.

“At Visma he was a sprinter who was largely self-reliant, often had to fend for himself and didn’t have huge backing. Now he’s joined a team that is building a squad around him and even bringing in sports directors for him. So just the morale he’ll get from that commitment will be fascinating to see,” Morkov said.

Decathlon CMA CGM Team have built one of the most formidable sprint trains in the sport, bringing together Tobias Lund Andresen, Cees Bol, Robbe Ghys and Daan Hoole — all marshalled by lead-out icon Mark Renshaw. Morkov believes that alone gives Kooij a head start before the new season has even begun.

Morkov knows exactly what Renshaw brings. The pair raced against each other between 2008 and 2019 before Morkov spent last season working under him at Astana Qazaqstan Team.

“It means a great deal. Renshaw is recognised as one of the best lead out riders in the sport. Last year he was my sports director at Astana, and he was able to contribute an enormous amount. But he was also on a team where he didn’t have that much to contribute to,” Morkov said.

That experience, he added, only strengthens his conviction that Kooij is now in the perfect place to take the next big step.

For Kooij, the shift to Decathlon CMA CGM Team isn’t just about a new jersey — it’s about stepping into a project where sprinting finally sits at the centre rather than the margins. His results from the Visma years speak for themselves, but Morkov’s view is that those numbers only hint at what might still be unlocked once the Dutchman is placed in a team built expressly around his speed.

That makes the next question more interesting than ever: where does a fully supported Kooij fit into Decathlon CMA CGM Team’s biggest ambitions? With rising GC prospect Paul Seixas rapidly climbing the internal hierarchy, the team will soon have to decide how aggressively it wants to back a dedicated sprint project during cycling’s busiest and most scrutinised month.

What’s clear in Morkov’s mind, though, is that the ceiling changes entirely once Kooij is no longer isolated in the finales.

If the team commits to the experiment — both in one-day goals and on Grand Tour stages — Morkov believes the sport may see something we haven’t yet witnessed: Kooij operating with a real train, elite guidance and the confidence that comes with it. For a rider already known as one of the fastest finishers in the peloton, that combination could redefine where he sits in the sprinting hierarchy by the middle of 2026.