Kooij times it perfectly for sprint victory in Pau

Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) unleashed a powerful and perfectly-timed sprint to win stage 5 of the Tour de France 2026, claiming his first victory of this year's race. The Dutch sprinter came off the wheel of his rivals in the final 150 metres, surging past Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), who finished second and third respectively.

The main general classification contenders finished safely in the peloton on the flat 158.3 km stage. The yellow jersey of Uno-X Mobility was untroubled on a day designed for the fast men.

The fifth stage from L'Aigle-Mezin to Pau was flagged as the first pure opportunity for the sprinters, and the day unfolded to script. From kilometre zero, Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché) attacked alone, quickly establishing a solo lead as the peloton settled into a relaxed tempo.

Veistroffer's advantage stretched to over five minutes, but the sprinters' teams, including Alpecin-Premier Tech and Soudal Quick-Step, never let him get too far up the road. The lone leader mopped up the intermediate sprint points before the chase began in earnest.

Marshalled by the GC teams and sprint trains, the peloton gradually reeled in the Frenchman. The short Category 4 Côte de Balex, just 25.6 km from the finish, did little to deter the inevitable bunch finish, and Veistroffer was finally caught with 15 km remaining, setting the stage for a high-speed battle into Pau.

• Olav Kooij's win was a masterclass in positioning. Without a dominant lead-out, he surfed the wheels of his rivals and launched his sprint at the perfect moment.
• Max Kanter continues to impress with another podium. His consistency marks him as a serious contender for the points classification, even if a stage victory remains elusive.
• Pre-stage favourites Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier were unable to convert. Philipsen found himself boxed in, while Merlier opened his sprint a fraction too early, providing a perfect launchpad for Kooij.
• Baptiste Veistroffer's long solo effort was a classic wildcard move, ensuring valuable television time for Lotto-Intermarché on an otherwise predictable day.
• The GC riders had a straightforward day conserving energy. For teams like UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, it was a successful day of staying safe ahead of the mountains.