“It is clear that he wants to go to the Tour de France" - Is Olav Kooij looking for a way out of Team Visma | Lease a Bike?

As one of the most promising young sprinters in the peloton, Olav Kooij’s future is now a topic of growing interest. The 23-year-old Dutchman’s contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike expires at the end of this season, and questions are swirling about whether he will continue with the Dutch team, or seek new opportunities elsewhere.

While the team continues to be shaped around Jonas Vingegaard’s Grand Tour aspirations and Wout van Aert’s classics ambitions, Kooij (who has delivered consistently in sprint finishes) has his sights set higher. According to Grischa Niermann, a key figure in Visma’s management team, the decision on Kooij’s future is still very much up in the air.

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“No, because we are still in talks with him and his managers. That can go both ways. Of course we are negotiating with Olav about a contract extension, but also about his sporting ambitions and possibilities,” Niermann told Wielerflits when asked whether Kooij might leave the team.

A major factor in those discussions? The Tour de France.

“It is clear that he wants to go to the Tour de France,” Niermann acknowledged. “We have to see if that fits into our schedule for the coming years. We are talking about that. We will see what comes of it.”

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With Vingegaard targeting overall victory and van Aert likely to hunt stages or support roles, the team must carefully assess whether there’s space in their Tour de France line-up for a pure sprinter like Kooij. Balancing these goals is no easy task for a squad that has championship pedigree across multiple terrains.

Niermann didn’t hint at a looming decision, but admitted there is a practical timeline, “There is no deadline,” he said. “But at a certain point you have to move on. That also applies to Olav. We still have some time. Officially, the deadline is August 1. Let's wait and see.”

In the meantime, the dynamics within Visma’s sprinting roster are evolving rapidly. This week, Matthew Brennan, the sensational 19-year-old Brit, lit up the headlines with his breakthrough performances. He’s another sprinter rising through the Visma ranks, and complicating Kooij’s potential role within the team moving forward.

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“The best scenario for our team is that you have five or six riders who win ten times a year,” Niermann said. “That is also what we are going for, what we strive for. But you also have to have a balance in your team, also a balance in terms of opportunities. We have our ideas about that and we make decisions based on that. And sometimes you have to accept that riders see it differently.”

That sentiment highlights the delicate juggling act facing top-tier teams like Visma. There is only so much room in the calendar (and the Tour squad) for multiple ambitions to coexist. As riders like Brennan rise, others, including Kooij, must assess whether their trajectory is best served by staying or moving on.

Kooij’s week on the road, meanwhile, has been frustrating. At Classic Brugge–De Panne, a race tailor made for sprinters, he was one of the pre-race favourites. But like many others, he was taken out of contention by the chaotic crashes that plagued the final kilometres. He never got the chance to sprint.

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“Unfortunately, Olav also fell, but the damage seems to be limited to abrasions,” Niermann said after the race. “He still has some big goals coming up, so we'll have to wait and see how he copes with this crash.”

Visma had been well positioned heading into the finale, but the dangerous layout of the finish, riddled with road narrowing’s and sudden bends, once again sparked criticism from riders and teams.

“We were where we needed to be as a team, but a crash was inevitable. The finale was simply too dangerous today. The road narrowing in the final kilometres caused some risky situations,” Niermann said.

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As Kooij recovers from his fall and the season rolls on, the focus will shift back to where he best fits in the long-term picture, both within Team Visma and the broader sprinting landscape. He’s still young, highly talented, and ambitious enough to want a spot on the sport’s biggest stage.

The decision ahead is not only about contracts, it’s also about career trajectory, team dynamics, and opportunity. With teams needing to balance Grand Tour contenders, sprinters, and rising stars, Visma faces one of its tougher internal calls this season.

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