"I am going into the race with an open mind": Olav Kooij finally pins on bib numbers again in Mayenne this week

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."

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.