"I hope to sprint for the win, just like Philipsen did today" - Olav Kooij left with big dreams after Milano-Sanremo debut

Team Visma | Lease a Bike have started Milano-Sanremo without Wout van Aert but with the lead in the hands of Christophe Laporte and Olav Kooij. The race did not favour the latter, as it was the fastest edition in history, but Kooij still rode to a strong result and is left hopeful for future years.

“I definitely want to return here one day and then I hope to sprint for the win, just like Philipsen did today," Kooij said in a press release issued by the Dutch team. "I'm happy that I was able to survive the Cipressa. This course once again illustrates the development I am going through.” The Dutch sprinter has proven himself as a quality classics rider last year at the national and European championships riding to a podium in both, and has now taken another step.

The pace was as high as ever up the Cipressa this year, the longest climb of the race, but Kooij survived in a small peloton. In the Poggio di Sanremo it was not possible to follow the best but he was not too distant, eventually settling in the chasing group. “As expected, the pace was very high on the Cipressa. I was really at the limit, but I still managed to survive. I also enjoyed the Poggio. But when the strongest riders accelerated, I no longer had the legs," he explained. Kooij then sprinted to 14th, second out of the second big group on the road.

"We have to be satisfied with that. That is simply a very impressive achievement in your first monument," team DS Marteen Wynants said. "Olav was exactly where he should be in the final, but Tadej Pogacar's second attack was too much for him. There is absolutely no shame in that. Of course, as a team we are disappointed that we did not achieve a top result here today. But the way Olav has manifested himself here today shows perspective for the future.”