Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale have confirmed the signing of Olav Kooij for 2026, with Daan Hoole, Robbe Ghys and Cees Bol signed to provide the Dutchman with a proven leadout train.
Kooij will leave Visma-Lease a Bike and has inked a three-year deal and is expected to finally make his Tour de France debut in 2026.
The team also announced Tobias Lund Andresen as their second benchmark sprinter, the 23-year-old Dane joins Decathlon-CMA CGM from Picnic PostNL.
Ireland's Sam Bennett will not stay with the team in 2026, with Italy's Andrea Vendrame also leaving to join Jayco AlUla.
The Decathlon sporting goods company took control of the French WorldTour team in the summer, with shipping giant CMA CGM coming on board as a new five-year title sponsor in 2026.
The new sponsorship will help the team raise the team's budget to close to €40 million as they work towards a top-five place in the men's WorldTour rankings and super team status alongside UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Lidl-Trek, Visma-Lease a Bike and Ineos Grenadiers.
The French team revealed to Cyclingnews how they plan to target Tour de France success with generational talent and Tour de l'Avenir winner Paul Seixas in seasons to come. CMA CGM replaces long-standing sponsor AG2R La Mondiale.
According to reports in France, Decathlon-CMA CGM will also create a women's team for the 2027 season.
Still only 23, Kooij is arguably the most talented and promising sprinter of his generation and showed his speed with three stage wins at last week's Tour of Britain Men and two stage wins at the Giro d'Italia. His move to Decathlon was first reported in the spring by Daniel Benson.
"I am really looking forward to joining Decathlon CMA CGM in 2026 and a new chapter in my career," Kooij said.
"I look forward to starting working together with the team on future goals and new challenges. We share great ambition to perform on the highest level which hopefully adds to many more victories in the coming years."
Snapping up several riders specifically to build the team's sprint train, and have Tobias Lund Andresen as a second sprint option, the team are hoping their investment will quickly convert to success.
"We're delighted to welcome Olav, Daan, Robbe, Cees and Tobias to the team. With this recruitment, we know we'll have the ability to take more WorldTour victories next season," the team's Sport Strategy Director Sébastien Joly said.
"Olav Kooij is still a young but experienced sprinter. Our aim is to support him so that he can continue to progress over the coming years and win the biggest sprints on the calendar. "
Thirty-year-old Cees Bol worked for Mark Cavendish in his final years at Astana and will have a similar role at Decathlon-CMA CGM, helping Kooij but also riding the Classics and having his own chances in some sprints.
"With the group around Olav, we will have the ambition to win races at the highest level. Having raced in different roles over the years, I hope to bring value to both the sprint train and the classics group," Bol said.
Daan Hoole won the Pisa time trial at the Giro d'Italia but has opted to leave Lidl-Trek to perhaps also have more opportunities in the Classics.
"I'm proud to be joining Decathlon-CMA CGM in 2026 for the next stage of my career. Time trial remains a major goal for me, and I'm determined to keep pushing my limits in this discipline while getting stronger in the Classics. I'm really looking forward to working alongside Olav Kooij, and I'm convinced we can achieve great things as teammates."
Last week, Decathlon also announced the signing of classics rider Tiesj Benoot, also from Visma, whilst WielerFlits reported that the talented American climber Matthew Riccitello will also join the team, leaving Israel-Premier Tech.
Cyclingnews will cover all of the 2026 cycling transfers from around the men's and women's pelotons with news, analysis, and an updated transfer index, to make sure you don't miss a thing this transfer season.
