{"id":472572,"date":"2026-02-11T09:46:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T09:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/472572\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T09:46:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T09:46:11","slug":"what-uae-are-doing-is-almost-surreal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/472572\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWhat UAE are doing is almost surreal\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sit Oliver Naesen<\/a> down at a table and you know you\u2019re in for a fun and useful conversation. The 35-year-old Belgian is heading into his ninth year with Decathlon CMA CGM<\/a>, and it will look very different from the seasons that came before. For Naesen, things start this week at the Tour de la Provence, after which the focus shifts towards the Flemish Classics.<\/p>\n

This winter, Decathlon have taken yet another step with the arrival of CMA CGM \u2014 although for Naesen it is the first year he will do it without AG2R on his jersey. The sponsor he credits for his best results, a great working environment, and good colleagues, from Greg Van Avermaet to Romain Bardet.<\/p>\n

But in the narrow existence of a pro cyclist, those are footnotes. Or, as Naesen puts it: \u201cI\u2019m focused on what my level is right now, not what it was \u2014 or could have been \u2014 in, say, 2018 or 2019.\u201d Enough said.<\/p>\n

Interview Oliver Naesen<\/p>\n

Oliver, can you explain what has changed in the more than eight years you\u2019ve been with this team?
\u201cIt has moved forward every year. But I see it like this: we\u2019ve always tried to follow the trends in cycling a little bit, but since Decathlon came in, we\u2019ve helped set the tone. Being ahead might be an exaggeration, but in terms of structure we\u2019ve definitely caught up.\u201d<\/p>\n

What have you personally changed in concrete terms?
\u201cCareful \u2014 it\u2019s true for the whole peloton that things are being done differently. But with the arrival of Decathlon, there\u2019s simply been a lot more budget and clout.\u201d<\/p>\n

So the \u2018French way\u2019 has disappeared?
\u201cThat\u2019s an exaggerated term. In my first year with this team, we still rode a Tour podium with Romain Bardet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is that really something that gets cultivated?
\u201cIf that were the case, you don\u2019t ride a Tour podium. Back then we were already a good team, but you can\u2019t compare it with where we are now. Now we have twice as many staff, a development team, a junior team, a women\u2019s team next year, and so on. That obviously makes a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continue reading below the photo!<\/p>\n

\"tiesj-benoot-olav-kooij-decathlon\"\/<\/p>\n

Decathlon CMA CGM: a top team, anno 2026.<\/p>\n

When you joined, you were an up-and-coming talent\u2026
(interrupts) \u201cIt\u2019s still coming, you know!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2026and now you\u2019re the experienced rider who works more for the team, and who never quite managed that one big win.
\u201cIt is what it is. When I joined this team, the objectives were different. We were happy if we got a top ten in a Classic, and that was exactly my goal too. Later, it became a podium \u2014 and I managed that. That final step to a win didn\u2019t happen, but that\u2019s perfectly OK.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m largely riding in service now, but I\u2019d still love to be in the mix for top-ten places in the Classics. Two years ago I was seventh in the Tour of Flanders. But with Olav Kooij<\/a> coming in, ambitions in races like Gent-Wevelgem have changed. I\u2019d also like to be part of a team that wins a lot.\u201dAnd that\u2019s not the only thing changing \u2014 you\u2019re not going to the Tour for the first time<\/a>.
\u201cThat\u2019s right. Normally it will be the Giro, so I hope it stays dry there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was that your own request?
\u201cFelix Gall is doing the Giro and I like riding with him. He really needs someone with experience in the peloton, so he can reach the finish without losing time. On the other hand, I also think: damn, maybe my Tour era is over. I\u2019ll be 37 next year and I\u2019m four years older than the second-oldest guy in the team, so if they\u2019ve got a countdown calendar somewhere\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

We don’t see any wrinkles yet.
(laughs) \u201cI\u2019ve got one of those LED masks and everything. But seriously: I think this could be my last contract.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you notice in the numbers that it\u2019s starting to decline?
\u201cWe did a testing day. Those young guys are smashing their records, and for me it was: big success, because I\u2019m one percent below my record. Nice \u2014 but I\u2019m not going to break my records anymore. An endless growth story would have been fun, but it\u2019s not reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no sport that keeps you as grounded as cycling. I trained every day with Greg Van Avermaet and you could see it every single day: he was just that tiny bit better. I could follow him everywhere, but he was just a bit faster and stronger. And then you had Peter Sagan back then, who was even stronger. Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel were another level again \u2014 and then Pogi still had to come\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then there\u2019s how homogeneous the peloton is. Omloop is raced on the old finale of the Tour of Flanders and these days it\u2019s almost become a sprint race. If that were still the finale of Flanders, you\u2019d get a sprint too. And look at how action-packed Flanders is nowadays\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Continue reading below the photo!<\/p>\n

\"greg<\/p>\n

Naesen and Greg Van Avermaet.<\/p>\n

What is it like for you to race the Tour of Flanders against the Van der Poels and Pogacars?
\u201cThe cake that cycling is, is bigger than just the win. With those two at the start, there isn\u2019t much dreaming \u2014 and they\u2019ve also got a world-class team that completely sacrifices itself. How many times has Nils Politt finished in the top five? He was almost a contender himself, but now he can\u2019t even think about a result.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is that an imbalance in cycling?
\u201cYeah, that\u2019s a difficult one. The market is fairly self-regulating. Sky started a revolution, and other teams followed \u2014 but some went under as well. What UAE are doing now with those wins and UCI points is almost surreal: they win races everywhere, and basically without a real sprinter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does it take away your desire to attack?
\u201cYou do have to think about it. For Flanders it\u2019s always about anticipating this and that, but what are you going to do? Anticipate when there\u2019s a TGV train behind you that can ride to the foot of the second Oude Kwaremont, then let the leader do their thing. You can\u2019t do it on the first Kwaremont, because your limiting factor is your energy. I don\u2019t see the solution.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll only be able to properly judge what they\u2019re doing in a few years. Because he\u2019s not going to keep it up for another ten years. It seems incredibly tough to live in his shoes. I recently saw a little clip of a pee break in training, with a fan sprinting up to him \u2014 he can barely pull his shorts back up\u2026 that\u2019s just not fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s something you don\u2019t really have in Belgium, do you.
\u201cWith me, people look into my trolley in the supermarket and say: \u2018Ah, a bag of crisps \u2014 what are we doing, mate?\u2019 People over 60 know me, at least on the train. Then they look at me and go: \u2018Uuuhhh\u2026 who are you again?\u2019 In a charming and polite way, but with Remco and Wout it\u2019s different. For their coffee ride they practically need a dark corner table.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continue reading below the photo!<\/p>\n

\"oliver-naesen\"\/<\/p>\n

Oliver Naesen at Decathlon CMA CGM training camp.<\/p>\n

How do you rate Paul Seixas<\/a>?
\u201cHe\u2019s outstanding, but what we really must not say is: the new Pogacar. That does Pogacar a disservice. But he\u2019s genuinely exceptional. Nothing seems to stick to him, but\u2026 France is impatient too. If he goes to the Tour this year \u2014 which I would really recommend \u2014 that\u2019s the only time it can be without pressure. If he finishes eighth, that\u2019s brilliant. If he goes to the Tour after already finishing fifth in the Vuelta, then expectations come with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are your expectations of him?
\u201cYou\u2019ve got young riders who arrive at the team already hyper-professional: they know everything and can do everything. Then the chances are small that there\u2019s still much room to grow. But a guy like Paul\u2026 he forgot his shoes, his bike computer wasn\u2019t charged, and he arrived without a heart-rate strap. There\u2019s still room there \u2014 he\u2019s super relaxed. And that\u2019s a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

How are things with Tiesj and the other Dutchmen in the group?
\u201cI was a trainee with Tiesj at Lotto back in 2014, so we\u2019ve known each other a long time. He\u2019s a great addition: a very smart guy. It\u2019s not that you automatically have that know-how because he came from Visma \u2014 it\u2019s more that he\u2019s smart enough to translate it in every language, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took your Tour spot, didn\u2019t he?
(grins) \u201cI think so, yes. But he brings more, too. His physical qualities, but also his vision. And as for the Dutch guys: all my friends at Lidl-Trek are insanely jealous that we have Daan on board. He\u2019s a dream guy to have in the team \u2014 as a rider, but also as a person. He reminds me of Stijn Vandebergh in a previous life: also a dream to sit behind, with that height. \u201cAnd if you sign someone like Kooij, you obviously need a high-quality lead-out train with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Final question: two years ago you put yourself on the line with your comments about the super-good Van Rysel bike, last year it was the fast skinsuit, and now\u2026
\u201cEverything has been optimised and we\u2019ve made big steps in nutrition, but that\u2019s a bit less \u2018my thing\u2019. Put me on my bike in my kit and I can feel how it is \u2014 but you don\u2019t have that feeling with food. So we\u2019ll have to see in the races.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sit Oliver Naesen down at a table and you know you\u2019re in for a fun and useful conversation.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472573,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,221838,89289,185104,176605,85,176986,2845],"class_list":{"0":"post-472572","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-cycling","11":"tag-decathlon-cma-cgm","12":"tag-olav-kooij","13":"tag-oliver-naesen","14":"tag-paul-seixas","15":"tag-sports","16":"tag-tiesj-benoot","17":"tag-tour-de-france"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472572"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472572\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}