Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is reportedly advancing plans to sign Olav Kooij and Tiesj Benoot from Visma-Lease A Bike for the 2026 season. Despite their reliance on Sam Bennett, the French team aims to enhance their sprint performance. Kooij, a promising Dutch rider with an impressive record, is expected to bring significant strength to their team. With other teams stepping back from negotiations, a three-year contract appears imminent. The move reflects Decathlon AG2R's ambition to bolster its lineup amid Visma's challenges in accommodating a focused sprint train for upcoming seasons.
Reports on Thursday from WielerFlits and Daniel Benson suggest that talks are advanced, with a three-year contract on the table and other teams pulling out of the running.
Despite fracturing his collarbone in a crash at Gent-Wevelgem, he's set to join Simon Yates and Wout van Aert in Visma's Giro squad this month.
It's no secret that he wants to race the Tour de France, a prospect he called "maybe not the most likely" at Rouleur Live last year.
With little likelihood of Visma compromising their Tour support squad to accommodate a sprint train, and with the Decathlon AG2R reportedly offering a higher contract than Visma would.
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