Boucles de la Mayenne: Olav Kooij claims another win on stage 3

Olav Kooij of Decathlon CMA CGM secured his second victory in three days by winning the third stage of the Boucles de la Mayenne, a 147.7km race finishing in Laval. The Dutch sprinter launched a decisive move off the wheel of Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) in the closing metres, overtaking the Dane to claim the stage win and solidify his hold on the points classification jersey. Pedersen, despite a strong lead-out from teammate Søren Kragh Andersen, was unable to maintain his lead against Kooij’s late surge, while John Degenkolb (Picnic-PostNL) edged out Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) for third place. The overall race victory was claimed by Benoît Cosnefroy of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who had won the previous stage and finished safely within the peloton on stage three. Cosnefroy extended his lead to seven seconds over Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ United), marking his fourth win of the 2026 season. Reflecting on his performance, Cosnefroy expressed satisfaction with his team’s disciplined approach and praised the organisers for their attention to safety and detail, emphasising the importance of maintaining focus to defend the leader’s jersey amid tactical challenges from rivals. The stage featured an early breakaway involving Pierre Thierry (TotalEnergies), Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep), Matthias Schwarzbacher (EF Education-EasyPost), and Edoardo Zamperini (Cofidis), who established a lead 10 kilometres into the race. However, their advantage was neutralised just 4.4 kilometres from the finish, setting the stage for a high-speed sprint finale. Teams including Lidl-Trek, Decathlon CMA CGM, and Visma-Lease a Bike controlled the peloton in the closing kilometres, with Lidl-Trek initially taking the front but ultimately unable to prevent Kooij’s well-timed attack. Kooij’s victory underscores his growing prominence in sprint finishes and highlights Decathlon CMA CGM’s effective race strategy, particularly in the final kilometres where positioning and timing are critical. Meanwhile, Cosnefroy’s consistent performance and tactical acumen have cemented his status as the race leader, setting up a compelling contest should the Boucles de la Mayenne continue. The race continues to draw attention for its competitive field and strategic depth, promising further excitement in the remaining stages.