Seixas joined by fellow debutant Kooij in Decathlon Tour squad

Paul Seixas will be joined by Olav Kooij in the Decathlon CMA CGM squad for the Tour de France, which gets under way in Barcelona on Saturday.

Tiesj Benoot lines out as road captain after proving his fitness at the Tour de Suisse, with Matthew Riccitello, Nicolas Prodhomme, Daan Hoole, Cees Bol and Aurélien Paret-Peintre completing the eight-man selection.

Decathlon were initially due to announce their Tour selection last week, and the delay led to speculation that Seixas might miss the race following the crash that forced him out of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on the final day.

On Monday, Decathlon quenched those rumours by confirming that the 19-year-old would start the Tour, becoming the youngest participant since the 1930s. Seixas lines up with GC aspirations after an astonishing spring that saw him win Itzulia Basque Country and Flèche Wallonne before going head-to-head with Tadej Pogacar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Seixas insisted that his Dauphiné abandon had not unduly impacted his preparations for the Tour. 

“After my crash and withdrawal from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, I was able to resume my preparations for the Tour de France almost as normal, adjusting a few training sessions due to my injuries,” Seixas said in a statement released by his team. 

“With five days to go until the Grand Départ, I feel ready to give it my all to complete these three weeks and achieve the best possible result. I’m not setting myself any specific targets because I’m heading into the unknown, given that I’ve never competed in such a long and demanding race before. 

“I hope to be a key player, to keep improving and also to enjoy myself. It’s the race I’ve always dreamed of and I realise how lucky I am to be able to take part in it so early in my career.”

Illness meant that Kooij’s debut for Decathlon was delayed until late May, but the sprinter secured his ticket to the Tour with stage wins at Boucles de la Mayenne and the Baloise Belgium Tour. It will be Kooij’s Tour debut, given that his Grand Tour experience at Visma | Lease a Bike was limited to two Giro d’Italia appearances.

“My start to the season wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for, but we managed to stay patient and keep working hard,” Kooij said. “The victories I’ve secured in recent weeks, since returning to competition, have given me a real confidence boost.”

Decathlon general manager Dominique Serieys said that his team was approaching the Tour “with ambition but also humility,” adding that “Paul Seixas will be making his Tour de France debut as part of this team, aiming to achieve the best possible result while focusing on learning the ropes.” 

Seixas is under contract with Decathlon until the end of 2027, but a number of teams, including UAE Team Emirates-XRG, are understood to be eager to secure his services when his existing deal expires.