2026 Tour de France: Goals achieved for the DECATHLON CMA CGM
Javier López, CEO at Decathlon
“Paul Seixas’ fourth-place finish at the Tour de France, at just 19 years old, and in his debut appearance, is an exceptional achievement. This feat, which leaves its mark on the history of the competition, is above all the result of remarkably demanding teamwork.
Throughout these three weeks of racing, Paul and the entire collective raced with remarkable bravery and maturity. In the symbolic year, as Decathlon celebrates its 50th anniversary, this performance is a source of immense pride for our 103,000 teammates around the world. It demonstrates that passion, technical excellence, and team spirit make it possible to conquer any summit. A huge well done to Paul and the entire team!”
Dominique Serieys, Chief Executive DECATHLON CMA CGM : "An Extraordinary Tour France"
“The main goals of this Tour France were to allow Paul Seixas to gain experience in this race, to aim for the best possible overall classification, and finally to secure a stage victory with Olav Kooij in a sprint finish. In the end, the results were extraordinary. The results Paul achieved at age 19 are historic, with a 4th-place finish in the final general classification and two stage podium finishes, all while learning to cope with the unique challenges of Tour France: the heat, the pressure, and the fervor of the crowds. All of this makes for an exceptional performance. To succeed, we needed a strong team effort throughout these three weeks. Every riders vital riders : Aurélien, Tiesj, Nicolas, and Matthew during that grueling final week in the Alps, as well as Cees, Daan, and Olav on the sprint stages. They were all central to the success of the team’s dual objectives, as demonstrated by their collaborative effort on the sprint stages, which yielded not only a victory but also two second-place finishes and two third-place finishes. “Our sprint unit reached a new milestone in this Tour Olav Kooij confirmed his immense talent. The rest of the season promises even more great successes.”
Paul Seixas : "I'm happy to have made my dream come true"
“Racing the Tour France has been my dream for so long, and I’m very happy to have seen it through to the end. Over the last few days, I gave it my all to finish on the podium; I didn’t succeed, but I’m still satisfied and proud of this 4th-place finish in the general classification. I owe this first and foremost to my team because, in addition to a stage win, all the riders up when it mattered most to support me. We finished with eight riders, and if I didn’t have a single bad day, it’s thanks to them.
“Second, I’m happy with what I’ve learned. I now know that I’m capable of lasting three weeks; I’ve seen that it requires constant concentration and unparalleled mental energy. Of course, there were tough moments, but all of this will serve me well, and I can now put into concrete terms what I still need to do to keep improving and return to the Tour France.”
Olav Kooij : "I'm more than satisfied with my first Tour France"
“When we decided I would compete in this Tour France, the goal was to win a stage. With this victory in the very first sprint, I can be truly satisfied. We gave it our all in every sprint and came close to a second victory on several occasions. Overall, I’ve been pretty consistent throughout these three weeks, so I can be pretty happy with my overall performance. Fighting for the best possible position in the general classification alongside Paul, and having something to play for every day, was also a good thing. Of course, it was tough, but when you race the way we did as a team, you can’t help but be satisfied with the result.”
The DECATHLON CMA CGM Team’s Tour de France by the numbers
4 - Paul Seixas’s final overall ranking at the 2026 Tour France. At 19, the Frenchman became the youngest rider in history to finish in the top 5 of the Tour de France. He also finished second in the Best Young rider classification.
1- The number of stage wins by the DECATHLON CMA CGM in this edition of Tour de France. By winning in Pau during the first mass sprint, Olav Kooij claimed a victory in his very first appearance.
3 - The number of DECATHLON CMA CGM Team riders to finish in the top 20 of the 2026 Tour de France general classification. Nicolas Prodhomme (16th) and Tiesj Benoot (17th) stepped up alongside Paul Seixas (4th) to support him throughout the three weeks. Like him, they finished in the top 20. The team also took 4th place in the team classification, demonstrating a solid collective performance, as evidenced by its victory in the team classification on Stage 18.
7 - The number of stage podium finishes achieved by the DECATHLON CMA CGM Team at the 2026 Tour de France. Paul Seixas made it onto the podium twice (stages 9 and 14). Olav Kooij, for his part, claimed five (stages 5, 10, 11, 12, and 17).
16 - The number of stages in which the DECATHLON CMA CGM Team finished inside the top 10 at the 2026 Tour de France. Across the race's 21 stages, the team secured a top-10 finish on 16 occasions.
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About DECATHLON
A global multi-specialist sports brand catering for everyone from beginners to top athletes, DECATHLON is an innovative manufacturer of sporting goods for all skill levels. With over 102,900 teammates and 1,902 stores worldwide, DECATHLON and its teams have been working ever since 1976 to make the joys and benefits of sport truly accessible to all.
About the CMA CGM Group
The CMA CGM Group is a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, true to its corporate Purpose: We imagine better ways to serve a world in motion. Present in 177 countries, it employs 160,000 people, including nearly 6,000 in Marseille, where its head office is located. As the world’s third-largest shipping company, CMA CGM serves more than 420 ports across five continents with a fleet of over 700 vessels. In 2025, CMA CGM carried more than 24 million twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEUs). Its subsidiary, CEVA Logistics, one of the top five global players, operates 1,000 warehouses and handled 15 million shipments in 2025. The Group’s air division operates a fleet of cargo aircraft under the CMA CGM AIR CARGO and Air Belgium brands. CMA Media, the third-largest private media group in France, brings together RMC-BFM and several national and regional press titles (La Tribune Dimanche, La Tribune, La Provence, and Corse Matin) as well as the social media platform Brut. Committed to the energy transition, the CMA CGM Group aims for Net Zero Carbon by 2050. The CMA CGM Foundation provides humanitarian aid in crisis situations and supports education and equal opportunities worldwide. To date, the Foundation has transported 120,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to 106 countries and supported over 630 projects in France, Lebanon, and around the world.