"I am going into the race with an open mind": Olav Kooij finally pins on bib numbers again in Mayenne this week
Cycling
Olav Kooij's acquisition by Decathlon CMA CGM Team was one of the key moves of last winter's transfer market. But since then, mostly silence. The Dutchman was sidelined from racing by a mystery virus for the first four months of this season and will only make his racing debut in new colours this week at Boucles de la Mayenne (2.Pro).
When the Dutch sprinter signed to Decathlon from Visma | Lease a Bike, his main goal was to finally make the cut of a Tour de France selection - soemthing he couldn't ever really hope to do as a teammate of one of the two world's best GC riders, Jonas Vingegaard.
But with the rapid rise of Paul Seixas, the 2026 edition might be Kooij's last opportunity to claim a leadership role before the French wonderkid takes over as Decathlon's poster boy. And in order to regain Decathlon's confidence, coming back strongly in Mayenne will be a key step:
"I feel good, especially when I think back to a few months ago when I was struggling with the virus. After that followed a period where I had to train again and build up my fitness to the point where I could race again. Fortunately, that time is almost here."
What is possible?
Regarding his goals for Boucles de la Mayenne, Kooij remains modest. "I am really looking forward to riding my first race with the team and being part of the peloton again. I am going into the race with an open mind, to see where I stand and to regain my race rhythm and feel."
With expected two sprint opportunities, Boucles de la Mayenne is a race suited to the likes of Kooij, meanwhile the hilly stage 2 will prove to be a good test for Kooij's climbing shape
"We will eventually see what I can achieve. In any case, we are going to give it our all, as always, and then we will take it day by day to see how we can achieve good results as a team." After the Boucles de la Mayenne, Kooij will definitely ride the Baloise Belgium Tour.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- And a bit of a malcontent on top of it all that doesn’t help.mij06-11-2026
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