How Olav Kooij can 'take pressure off Paul Seixas' after Tour de France Stage 5 heroics - 'The kid is absolutely on fire'

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Olav Kooij is "absolutely on fire" and can "take pressure off Paul Seixas" with his sprinting prowess, according to the TNT Sports experts, after powering to victory in Stage 5 on his Tour de France debut.

Highlights: Kooij delivers on debut with impressive Stage 5 win

Video credit: TNT Sports

The Dutchman (Decathlon-CMA CGM) came out on top in the first sprint finish of the 2026 Tour, powering to the line ahead of Max Kanter (XDS Astana) and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step).

It completed a remarkable comeback for Kooij, whose preparation for the blue riband Grand Tour took a huge hit when a virus ruled him out of the entire spring not long after his move from Visma-Lease a Bike.

But when the 24-year-old was presented with the opportunity of his first sprint stage at his first Tour, he immediately claimed victory.

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"Nailed it! I think to get a stage win in the Tour de France can change your career," Blythe told The Breakaway on TNT Sports.

"But the lead-up he’s had into this year has been very difficult for him; into a new team, new riders, learning how that team operates. He has managed to do that with 14 days’ racing.

"That is his fourth win this year already in such a short space of time. The kid is absolutely on fire.

"The way he dominated that today - we have to remember he was pretty much on his own in these sprints. He had a hand here or there, moving him up into position for the last 2km, but the way he navigated that pretty much solo is … chapeau, fair play."

Exciting French talent Seixas is the pin-up star of the Decathlon team at this year’s Tour amid hopes that he can pose a yellow jersey challenge to the superstar duo of Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG).

And TNT Sports pundit Robbie McEwen believes that having an all-star sprinter like Kooij racking up wins on the flat stages can be of benefit to his general classification contending team-mate.

"If you’ve got someone who can pop up and win like that, it takes a lot of pressure off the team. It takes a bit of pressure off Paul Seixas, for one thing," McEwen said.

"Olav Kooij has such quality, but he had to force his way into that team because of that illness he had and a difficult spring, very little racing so far.

"He had to perform from the very first race he made his comeback in this season and then performed very well again in the Tour of Belgium, beating Merlier and (Jasper) Philipsen head to head in a straight-out drag race.

"That just sealed the deal that we have to take this guy to the Tour because he will win, and first opportunity he’s gone and done it."

‘Superstar’ Kooij claims sprint triumph on Tour de France debut - ‘He has blitzed them!’

Video credit: TNT Sports

'Being here felt like a victory'

Speaking to Eurosport and TNT Sports after the race, Kooij said that what he has been through in his preparation for the Tour made the win even more special.

"Just being here felt like a victory already, more than any other race I started," he said. "With the spring there were moments where I thought I would for sure not make it.

"The hard work that I put in, the belief along the way that I could make it, helped me a lot today."