“It is a nice classic course and I hope I can be there” - Olav Kooij looking at a potential selection for the Olympic Games Road Race in Paris

Having taken two sprint victories on stages 1 and 5 of Paris Nice in dominant fashion, Olav Kooij is looking like one of the best sprinters in the world at the moment and is now under consideration for a spot in the Olympic Games Road Race for the Dutch national team in Paris.

The Visma | Lease a Bike rider opened his season with a victory at the Clásica de Almería in his first race, before heading to the UAE Tour, where he pipped Tim Merlier on the line to take the win on stage 5.

Kooij’s stellar form then continued at Paris-Nice, as he dominated the majority of the sprints, often leaving it late to come around his rivals in the final hundred metres, beating Mads Pedersen on both occasions.

When asked about a possible call-up for the Dutch team at the Olympics in an interview with De Telegraaf, Kooij said “it is a nice classic course and I hope I can be there”.

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The Dutch national team have only been allocated three selection spots for this year’s Olympic Road Race and with Mathieu van der Poel and Dylan van Baarle already confirmed to be selected, it leaves just one spot open for the race this summer.

On potentially racing at the Olympics, Kooij went on to say that “with a small field of participants, it will also be good to have three men who can ride and who also have a chance. I would also have no problem riding for Mathieu. I would think it would be really cool to appear there at the start”.

Dutch national team coach Koos Moerenhout has also commented on Kooij’s potential selection, as he said that “the way he won on Thursday was very impressive. The level in Paris-Nice is extremely high, you can't play hide and seek there. Olav shows that he has nerves of steel and won by a big margin. Will he become the third man to participate in the Games? He certainly qualifies for it”.

Kooij will now head to Milano-Sanremo and Gent-Wevelgem, ahead of his first Grand Tour participation of his career at the Giro d’Italia in May.

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"Luckily I found a hole" - Olav Kooij wins second Paris-Nice stage with impressive sprint from behind

“Olav is simply faster in a sprint like this” - Mads Pedersen second again behind Olav Kooij on stage 5 of Paris-Nice

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