"I would have liked to be on the podium" - Olav Kooij settles for sixth place at Gent Wevelgem

Olav Kooij was seen as outsider for this year's Gent Wevelgem if the race was to be decided in a sprint of big group. However two riders emerged stronger than the pack and so it came down to a fight for final podium spot. Visma | Lease a Bike's sprinter Kooij crossed the line in sixth place.

"I would have liked to be on the podium," said Kooij after the race. "Unfortunately that wasn't possible at the end. After a 250-kilometre race, I had to wait and see how good the legs were for the sprint. They didn't feel super anymore."

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"Before the final climb of the Kemmelberg, things slowed down in the peloton," he continued. "The gap to the escapees got bigger and bigger, so it soon became clear that we would sprint for the places of honour. The wind blew in their favour, which made it hugely difficult to make up time. In hindsight, this is a great result."

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