Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale seeks to sign another one of Visma's leaders

The transfer market only opens up in three months time but there are already serious moves happening behind the scenes in the Wolrd Tour. In this past week it has already been heavily hinted that Tiesj Benoot will be departing towards Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, however he is not the only rider that the French team is looking to sign from the Dutch team.

Journalist Daniel Benson has reported that besides Benoot, Decathlon is also interested in sprinter Olav Kooij. The team currently supports Sam Bennett's ambitions in the bunch sprints, but the results have not matched the expectations. The Irishman has taken nine wins since joining the team, however all in minor French races, whilst he has struggled to be competitive at the top level of the sport. The upcoming Giro d'Italia could potentially change the situation, but as it stands the 34-year old is in his final year of contract with the team and there is an active hunt already for a new leader.

The report suggests that Visma is close to re-signing with Matteo Jorgenson, which makes sense in the team's current atmosphere where the American largely enjoys a leadership role with the exception of a few races per year, however it could very well lose Olav Kooij.

The Dutchman has in the past been close to leaving the team, but has remained, with leadout support from Wout van Aert and the new signing Dan McLay as further incentives for a continued agreement. However the impossibility of taking him to the Tour de France due to the team's GC ambitions is quite a big obstacle between the two - one that shouldn't change in the coming years - and with Kooij seeking more leadership and potentially more support when it comes to a devoted and specialized leadout, Decathlon could be an alternative.