Radsport superstar Olav Kooij will leave the Visma – Lease A Bike at the end of the season and join Decathlon AG2R Mondiale.
As Decathlon AG2R Mondiale announced on Monday, the services of sprint star Olav Kooij were secured. The Dutch signed a contract with the French cycling team for three years.
“I am really happy to switch to Decathlon CMA CGM in 2026 and open a new chapter in my career,” Kooij is quoted in a press release.
The 23-year-old added: “I look forward to working with the team on future goals and new challenges. We share the great ambition to bring performance at the highest level, which will hopefully lead to many other victories in the coming years.”
Racing manager Grischa Niermann already indicated that the expiring contract by Kooij at Visma – Lease A Bike is not extended in the spring. “At the moment I can’t say with 100 % certainty that Olav stays in our team,” he told “Sporza” and added: “It is about opportunities and money, we will discuss that during the season.”
At the Tour de France, Visma had dispensed with Kooij’s participation. The team from the Netherlands focused on an overall victory by superstar Jonas Vingegaard and therefore referred to possible stages by Sprinter Kooij.
Decathlon AG2R Mondiale fetches four other drivers
In addition to Kooij, Decathlon AG2R Mondiale signed three other drivers. The Danish sprint star Tobias Lund Andresen and the drivers Daan Hoole, Robbe Ghys and Cees Bol also joined the team.
“We are pleased to welcome Olav, Daan, Robbe, Cees and Tobias to the team. With these obligations we know that we will be able to do more World Tour victories in the coming season,” said sports director Sébastien Joly.