"Elite sport is simply a different world" - Oliver Naesen sees first-hand how Decathlon and the top of the sport evolve
Cycling
Oliver Naesen is a veteran of the peloton but a man that remains firm in the World Tour due to his vast experience as a classics rider and road captain. The Belgian rider is part of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and is seeing first-hand how much different the sport is becoming and the amount of focus that is currently necessary on the top riders.
The Belgian moved from a leading role at IAM Cycling in 2016 straight into a leading position with AG2R in 2017. Now with almost a decade under the belt with the French team, he sees how things have changed. "It used to be much more family-oriented. You could still talk yourself into the team, but now tough, business-like decisions are being implemented. Things are tougher, and that's not always easy, but it's reflected in the results," the Belgian told Het Nieuwsblad.
"Last year, Decathlon appointed a new CEO to the team, Dominique Serieys, a businessman through and through. Last year you won eight times, now we have to finish with over twenty wins with almost the same core as the year before. That opened our eyes: if we prioritize performance and don't cut corners, that translates into racing results," Naesen believes.
And despite being in the latter years of his career, he admits that the pressure is something he wants and seems to enjoy when being part of a top team. "You might think that openly expressing those ambitions puts an unhealthy amount of pressure on the guys, but I actually think it's a very good thing. Elite sport is simply a different world."
He also believes that the entry of Decathlon in 2024 has made the whole change. Budget wise for a starters, but also material wise: "In the past, the team had to make ends meet. If we wanted certain components for the bikes, like wheels, we chose a particular brand because they paid extra on top of supplying those products. As a result, you sometimes end up with a lesser-quality product."
Naesen continues to be a strong classics rider in his own right. @Sirotti
Language barriers have been eliminated
"If Decathlon calls that wheel brand to sponsor the team, there's a real chance that Decathlon will overnight become that company's biggest customer, because they'll then put those wheels on all their bikes in the store as standard. For that reason, that wheel brand is happy to give the team a few hundred wheels in return," he explains. "That's clout that other teams don't have".
But aside from that, language and culture wise there has also been a big shift. Naesen came into the team at the time to be a part of Romain Bardet's almost 100% French block to aim for the Grand Tours, and over the past few years the situation has remained rather similar even with the departure of Bardet. But the team has moved away - although the presence of Paul Seixas is certain to keep the French crowd fully behind Decathlon.
"The team wanted to shed that French reputation to be attractive to foreign riders. Not that there's anything wrong with speaking French per se, but it can be a limiting factor in recruiting good riders," he explains. With the likes of Olav Kooij, Tiesj Benoot and Matthew Riccitello coming in this winter, that problem may be behind already.
"A few years ago, Brent Van Moer was close to joining the team, but he told me he wasn't interested because his French isn't good enough," Naesen reveals. "We still occasionally speak French with staff members, but when the boss is on the spot, you shouldn't start in French. It's a good thing, too, with those Dutch riders joining the team".
And Naesen will also have a new set of leaders to work for, including Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij, who is having a brand new leadout with pieces assembled from several other teams. The 35-year is eager to have a proven winner come into the team who can increase the win tally significantly. "He's only 24, but he's already a world-class sprinter. That guy doesn't even need to improve anything to win twenty races with the team's full support. That's already half the season."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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