"It is not WorldTour level, but it is nice to get confirmation" - Olav Kooij on smooth set of wins at Tour of Oman
Cycling
Olav Kooij decided on a different start to the season this year, in the Middle East where he found a modest peloton to compete with in the sprints, and took full advantage of it to leave with two wins in the bag already in early February. He discusses today's triumph at the Tour of Oman on stage 4 where he beat Giacomo Nizzolo to the line.
“This is indeed quite close to perfection. There were two chances in this Tour of Oman and I won twice. Was I sure beforehand? No, sprinting is always very hectic. The approach is often difficult, you have to make sure you are in a position to sprint," Kooij shared with Wielerflits. "That was the plan today, especially with those final kilometres that were a bit uphill".
On stage 1 he didn't seem to be in great difficulties to achieve the win and today was not overly different. On the wheel of the Uno-X Mobility leadout, Kooij hung on to the right wheel and then launched his own sprint at will, taking a victory with no sprinter besides him - all behind instead. Kooij is a rider of tremendous potential, with many high-level wins over the past few years including the Giro d'Italia last spring, but he knows the importance of confidence into his bigger goals in the spring.
"It is not WorldTour level, but it is nice to get confirmation. I can take this with me towards the spring," he explains. "Where do I now place myself against the other top sprinters? I am mainly concerned with myself, I do not compare myself to the other sprinters. But none of the top sprinters missed their season start. That is clear.”
The race will still have one more day, and he may play a support role for Cian Uijtdebroeks on the run-up to the 'Green Mountain' before taking a few days off, as he will then tackle the UAE Tour with more big opportunities. “It is a good change here. Today was a quiet day, but on the climbs they are riding hard. The good weather is also pleasant, which ensures that you come out of this race well.”
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