"There are riders at a level we've never had before": Oliver Naesen impressed by the exponential growth of Decathlon

Heading into his 10th season with Decathlon CMA CGM Team, the once-rookie Oliver Naesen is now the longest serving rider in the French team. From his position, he is therefore the right person to reflect on how the team developed from a team whose mind was solely locked onto the Tour de France success with Romain Bardet, to a formation that can now rival the best in the world in terms of money, firepower, but also work with talent and support structure.

"When I joined the team, I already thought it was professional. Every year, something new is added. Now we're at a point where everything is well-thought-out and professional. There are also riders at a level we've never had before," Naesen said during the team presentation. "The budget has gone up significantly. As a result, we have some nice, expensive riders here."

Although Decathlon CMA GCM already has a could-be future GC superstar in the 19-year-old Paul Seixas, the French team has been very active on this year's transfer market, securing the services of a world's top-5 sprinter Olav Kooij, leader for both Flemish and Ardenne Classics Tiesj Benoot, number 5 of this year's Vuelta a Espana Matthew Riccitello, or another talented sprinter Tobias Lund Andresen.

As the quality of incoming riders seems to far exceed the damage caused by departures (Sam Bennett, Benoit Cosnefroy, Dorian Godon, or Victor Lafay), it's clear that money is not much of a concern thanks to the generous investment of Decathlon.

And the financial boost is reflected in more than just names. Naesen notes that no departments of the team are left behind with technical innovations as well as cycling know-how flowing into the team alongside the high-profile signings both on and off the bike.

"Every aspect is becoming more professional. There are also I don't know how many chefs on that internship. We used to always have to rely on the hotel buffet. That's not bad either, but it's still better this way."

As a Flemish Classics specialist (with extensive palmares), Naesen's calendar is quite possibly going to align with that of Tiesj Benoot, one of the two newcomers from Visma | Lease a Bike. In the past, the two men used to battle each other as rivals, but while Naesen's glory days seem to be a thing of past, he'll be more than happy to put his experience to use for his younger compatriot.

It is thanks to Benoot's presence that Decathlon can suddenly aim very high in the Classics which weren't their primary focus in past years. "It won't be impossible to compete for the win. With Tiesj, we can fight for the top 5 in the Tour," beamed the former Belgian champion who has no illusions about his own role: "In races with Tiesj, I think I'm next to him or just below him. In recent years, I was just a leader, but that's over."

Naesen's value for the team is clear when you hear that he's requested as teammate for all sorts of races. Felix Gall would like to have the 35-year-old by his side at the Giro, while Olav Kooij could use his insight in sprint preparation. The team will not able to satisfy everyone, unless they close Naesen. "We can't be everywhere," concludes a laughing Naesen.