Olav Kooij Scores His First Tour de France Victory in Pau
By Kevin Kempf
Olav Kooij (Decathlon – CMA CGM) celebrates his first stage win at the 2026 Tour de France. | Photo: Cor Vos
July 8, 2026 | (rsn) – Olav Kooij (Decathlon – CMA GCM) triumphed in the 5th stage of the 2026 Tour de France. After 158 kilometers from Lannemezan to Pau, he outpaced a 20-rider lead group in the final sprint, leaving Max Kanter (XDS – Astana) in second place. Tim Merlier (Soudal – Quick-Step) took third, followed by Huub Artz (Lotto – Intermarché) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Premier Tech). A significant crash shortly before the crash zone split the peloton, but Torstein Traeen (Uno-X Mobility) managed to retain his yellow jersey, finishing 14 seconds behind Kooij.
Kooij’s Moment of Glory
At just 24 years old, Kooij showcased his potential on his fifth day of racing in the Tour de France. Positioned perfectly for the hectic finale, he surged ahead in the sprint, astonishing everyone with his speed. “After several challenging days, I had to wait until now to get my first chance to sprint at the Tour de France. Winning right away is incredible,” Kooij exclaimed, marking his fourth season victory in just his 14th race.
“This means a lot to me. I had a tough spring. It takes a few people to believe in you to get back to this level and regain confidence,” he shared. His nomination for the Tour was debated, with speculation that Decathlon might focus the team’s efforts on rising star Paul Seixas instead of him.
Kanter’s Strong Performance
Kanter, also making his Tour debut at age 28, delivered a strong performance by claiming second place in both the intermediate sprint and the finish line. He managed to avoid the crash that caused chaos in the field, explaining, “It was quite nerve-wracking in the peloton; everyone wanted to stay up front due to multiple roundabouts and traffic islands. Crashes are almost expected in these situations, which made it very stressful.” He added, “You have to switch off your head a bit and honestly hope everything goes well.”
Overall Classification Updates
There were no changes in the overall classification. Torstein Traeen (Uno-X Mobility), still wearing the yellow jersey, leads by 28 seconds over American Sean Quinn (EF Education – EasyPost). Czech rider Mathias Vacek (Lidl – Trek) follows in third place, with top favorites Tadej Pogacar (UAE – Emirates – XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma – Lease a Bike) trailing by over seven minutes. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe) remains in eleventh place, while Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto – Intermarché) lost 33 seconds on his competitors.
Stage Summary
At the start of the stage, Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto – Intermarché) shot out of the peloton, a move he might have regretted shortly after. He quickly gained a one-minute lead, which he extended to 3:30 minutes before Alpecin – Premier Tech and Soudal – Quick-Step took control of the peloton.
Before the intermediate sprint, which took place 44 kilometers from the finish, not much changed in the race dynamics. Veistroffer claimed the 25 points, two minutes ahead of Kanter. Mads Pedersen (Lidl – Trek) finished third in the sprint.
As they approached the Côte de Baleix, the only climb of the day, Veistroffer secured points before being caught with 16 kilometers to go after pulling ahead for nearly 145 kilometers. Just before the five-kilometer banner, a crash fragmented the field, impacting many sprinters’ positions. The final sprint was led by Mike Teunissen for Kanter, but Kooij surged forward from behind to secure a remarkable first stage victory in the Tour de France.
