Kooij confident of making Tour debut despite disrupted season
Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) sent a clear message to the headline sprinters of the 2026 Tour de France on Saturday by beating Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) by the smallest of margins on stage 4 of the Baloise Belgium Tour in Aarschot. The Dutchman, who returned to racing in late May after a virus disrupted his spring, believes he will line up against the same names at the Tour next month.
Kooij had finished second on stage 2 in Knokke-Heist behind Merlier, with his Decathlon CMA CGM lead-out boxing him into Merlier's wheel rather than putting him alongside the Belgian. The Dutchman explained how the stage 4 sprint had unfolded from a similar position before he found a way through the closing 200m.
"I didn't dare to celebrate, but Tim had his suspicions," Kooij said in his post-race interview.
"I hit my teammate last time, but I found another way forward. So I had to find another way forward. And I was close to Jasper and Tim. And then I got in the wheel of Tim. And then, yes, slowly but surely, got closer and got there right on the finish."
Eyes on the Tour?
Decathlon CMA CGM moved for Kooij and lead-out man Daan Hoole over the winter to build their Tour de France sprint unit, but illness kept him on the sidelines until May. Kooij got off to a winning start with two victories at Boucles de la Mayenne, and he scored his third victory for Decathlon on Saturday.
Despite his truncated season and despite the GC ambitions of 19-year-old Paul Seixas, Kooij is still hoping to make his Tour debut next month, and this latest win will help his case.
"It's great after having a missed start to get back into racing and be successful. But I had to take time to recover, build back up and build up to a good level," Kooij said.
"The feeling is really good. Of course, when you win, it's always nice. But after a missed start of the season, it's even nicer to come back at my old level."
Asked what beating Merlier and Philipsen in a sprint meant going into a possible Tour de France ride in a few weeks, Kooij was clear.
"I'm assuming I'm going to be fighting against these same guys for wins in the Tour," he said.
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