"I would like it if he came along": Decathlon teammate hopes for Olav Kooij to make Tour de France selection

Olav Kooij's 2026 season was meant to underline his reputation as one of the peloton's fastest men, however a knee injury in winter put a lengthy stop to his preparation. Thus we didn't see the young Dutchman in action until the very end of May when he returned in style with two stage wins at Boucles de la Mayenne.

Kooij's move to Decathlon CMA CGM last winter was the embodiment of the 24-year-old's ambition to become his team's leading figure - something he would have a hard time achieving at Visma | Lease a Bike alongside Jonas Vingegaard and Wout Van Aert. With eyes set on the Tour de France triumph, there was simply no room for a secondary objective, such as sprint finishes with Kooij.

That was supposed to be different at the French team, but... will it be? The young supertalent Paul Seixas made a rocket rise this season and immediately secured a podium contender badge among fans and experts alike, even though he's never ridden a Grand Tour.

And that comes across as bad news for Kooij, because there'll no longer be a fully dedicated train for bunch finishes, although Decathlon appears to intend to stay true to their promise and give Kooij his fair opportunity at the Tour. But it could become his last chance...

But whether Kooij indeed travels for Grand Depart in Barcelona willl only become clear with time, and especially depending on how his preparation race Baloise Belgium Tour unfolds.

In de Leiderstrui spoke with Kooij's teammate and expected sprint train cog, Daan Hoole during the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. "I would like it if he came along. He is a good friend of mine and, of course, we came to the team together," the Dutchman said.

"My role for the sprints is something I get a lot of enjoyment out of. We shall see," Hoole concluded, without spoiling whichever turn of events.