"I just missed that final kick" - Olav Kooij reacts to narrowly missing out on victory at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne

After Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, Olav Kooij spoke to Cycling Pro Net about his race and how he felt about his second-place finish.

“Yeah, I think we didn't make many mistakes but yeah, it's always a bit of a pity when you come second.”

When asked about what he felt was missing in the final sprint, particularly in comparison to the lead-out from Alpecin-Deceuninck, Kooij responded, “Yeah, I think we did a really good sprint preparation ourselves.

“I wanted to be in a good position in the corner and yeah, thanks to the guys, I was there and we did a really good job. And then I was also in the right wheel, so I just missed that final kick.”

With a strong showing in the race and the ability to survive the tougher sections, Kooij was asked about his potential in Flemish races moving forward.

“Yeah, we will see. I mean, yeah, we knew that if it will be a bigger group to the finish, normally I would be there and yeah, that's also what suits me. In these races, it will always be a challenge between the attackers and the sprinters, and yeah, in the sprint scenario, I knew I could fight for a win.”

Looking ahead, Kooij was asked whether he would feature in other cobbled classics this season, “Uh, not many, but I'll do some one-day races.”