Launching their new-look, big-budget team in Lille on Thursday, Decathlon CMA CGM laid out their grand ambitions for 2026, which include winning one of the five Monuments, finishing top five at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, and targeting the green jersey at the Tour de France.
2026 will be a year of further transformation for Decathlon CMA CGM, who have already been growing rapidly since the arrival of Decathlon, but are taking another step up – in terms of budget, ambitions and riders – next season with logistics giant CMA CGM coming onboard.
The new title sponsor has reportedly upped the team’s budget from €30 million to €40 million, and has seen them sign riders like Olav Kooij, Tiesj Benoot and Matthew Riccitello as they take aim at Monument and Grand Tour victories.
As still a French team, the ultimate goal is to win the Tour de France – with young home star Paul Seixas a long-term project for the team – but for 2026 they’re focusing their GC ambitions on the other Grand Tours, whilst the aim at the Tour will be to win the green jersey.
Though Kooij will be a debutant at the Tour – with the lack of opportunities there part of the reason why he left Visma-Lease a Bike – Decathlon have put a lot into the sprint project, recruiting riders like Cees Bol and Daan Hoole to support him, as well as Mark Cavendish’s former teammate and sprint coach Mark Renshaw.
“The five Monuments are the major pillar of our sporting project, we want to race with the objective of a top-five…
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