Can Decathlon CMA CGM reach ‘super team’ status after ambitious transfer window? Analysing the team’s rider recruitment for 2026

Olav Kooij won two stages of the Giro d’Italia in 2025 (Image credit: Getty Images)

In cycling’s recent seasons, sprints have for the most part been dominated by four men: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) and Olav Kooij.

Having one of them is a massive bonus and all but guarantees wins. In signing the latter, who is also the youngest of the four, it gives Decathlon the ability to compete for victories at any race, including the Tour de France, and at 24, Kooij should only get better into his mid and late 20s.

He’s netted double-figure victories in three of his past four seasons and 47 already as a pro, 17 of which were at the WorldTour level, and it’s this level of success that not only gives the French team someone to build around for sprints but should also take pressure off their other stars.

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While reports suggest the money required to bring in his services was eye-watering, the value of a Tour de France stage win, which Kooij should be taking aim at on debut next July, would make the investment worth it. Plus, it’s been two years since they won a stage of their home race and the biggest event in cycling’s calendar.

Despite his talents, any sprinter will struggle to win on their own, especially at the Tour, so Decathlon has invested in several specific riders to form a new lead-out train. Tobias Lund Andresen, Cees Bol, Robbe Ghys and Daan Hoole should form part of what would be a formidable train, with Benoot also well-equipped to contribute.

And at the helm will be one of the best lead-out riders of recent memory joining as a sports director – Mark Renshaw – after he joined from XDS Astana to specifically work on the French team’s ‘sprint project’.

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There will no doubt be a teething period for the fast man as they try to work out how to best deliver Kooij, who operated at Visma with various different leadouts and often freestyled in the bunch to victory, but if they can get it together before the Tour, his debut could be one to remember.

Tiesj Benoot has been vital to Jonas Vingegaard’s support in recent years at Visma-Lease a Bike (Image credit: Getty Images)

Benoot is the biggest name to join after Kooij, as one of the most consistent and versatile performers in the peloton, with wins at Strade Bianche and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne to his name but also years of experience helping some of the top riders in the world.

The Belgian will no doubt play a vital role during the Classics, having already raced 31 Monuments in his career and finished in the top 10 of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Flanders on several occasions.

While he hasn’t enjoyed leadership much in recent years as he’s ridden in support of Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson, Benoot certainly has the ability to be the main man be that over cobbles or during the Ardennes.

He’ll be joining up with guys like Oliver Naesen and Stefan Bissegger, who have performed well, albeit without a massive result to show for it, so this addition could see Decathlon compete to become a top outfit in the Classics.

Aside from the one-day arena, Benoot has also proved to be a top-class domestique at Visma, aiding the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič to GC titles in Grand Tours and contributing in several areas, be it in the mountains, hills or providing protection during a sprint run-in.

Matthew Riccitello finished fifth at the last Vuelta a España (Image credit: Getty Images)

As already mentioned, Decathlon don’t need to invest in new GC riders because they already have an established man for the present and one for the future, in Gall, who was fifth at this year’s Tour, and 19-year-old Seixas.

But they will need more riders to support them, so climbers have been brought on board for 2026. The most notable of them is young US rider Matthew Riccitello, 23, who had his best result yet at the Vuelta a España this past season, winning the best young rider’s white jersey and finishing fifth on GC.

French national champion Dorian Godon is one of the big departures for 2026 (Image credit: Getty Images)

With nine riders coming, there of course had to be some outgoings from Decathlon, with nine departing to other teams for 2026 and two retiring.

One of their top performers and current French national champion, Dorian Godon, is among the top departures, as the team’s third-highest points scorer in 2025 and having contributed six of their 26 victories. He’s joined Ineos Grenadiers for next season.

Other big names departing include Sam Bennett to Q36.5, after the Irish sprinter didn’t reach his previous best during two seasons on the French team, and Benoît Cosnefroy, a former winner of the GP Quebec and Bretagne Classic who has struggled with various injuries and other issues in recent seasons. Cosnefroy has joined UAE Team Emirates-XRG on a two-year deal.

As the team becomes more international and brings in several riders from different countries, they will have seven fewer French riders than they did last season, with eight departing and only one joining – L’Hote from the development team.

Alongside Godon and Cosnefroy, they’ve also said goodbye to former Tour de France and Giro d’Italia stage winner Victory Lafay (Unibet Rose Rockets), top time trial rider and domestique Bruno Armirail (Visma-Lease a Bike), Clément Berthet, Bastien Tronchon (both Groupama-FDJ) and the two retiring riders, Nans Peters and Geoffrey Bouchard.

The last two departing riders are Dries de Bondt and Andrea Vendrame, who, after varying levels of success in recent seasons, have both joined Jayco-AlUla for 2026.

After two seasons of growth following the arrival of Decathlon as a title sponsor in 2024, and having finished sixth and seventh in the UCI team rankings these past two years, the French team’s trajectory is continuing to rise.

With CMA CGM also coming on board for 2026, Decathlon have put the investment to good use, shoring up several areas to make them one of the most well-rounded teams on paper.

A whole new sprint train built around Kooij should last longer than just his current three-year deal, and at 24, he could well develop into the best sprinter in the world, though only time will tell. But it isn’t just youth they’ve brought in, as with Benoot they have a wealth of experience and one of the peloton’s most versatile riders among their ranks.

With a focus on Kooij, Seixas and Gall plus Benoot joining the likes of Naesen, Decathlon should be formidable in sprints, at the Classics and riding for GC at Grand Tours.

All in all, Decathlon seem to have filled the gaps they had and revitalised their squad for 2026 with international talent. While moving away slightly from their French identity, they have modernised and could well be on the path to ‘super team’ status if their new transfers pay off.