Jumbo-Visma DS promises the team "will come back for a better result next year" after Olav Kooij fails to compete for top result in Germany

Olav Kooij has finished 16th in the Bemer Cyclassics. The German one-day race around Hamburg saw a very tough final, in which the 21-year-old Dutchman of Team Jumbo-Visma could not play a significant role in the sprint. Mads Pedersen won the race.

The final traditionally consisted of a local loop with the Waseberg as the highlight. There the race ignited. Tosh Van der Sande and Mick van Dijke followed a series of attacks, but three riders broke away after the final passage. Kooij rejoined the chase after the climb. However, the ZLM Tour winner could not sprint for the win after a frantic chase and subsequent merge.

"Unfortunately, it was not a day for a top result," sports director Robert Wagner said. "We were unlucky towards the end. Lennard Hofstede and Timo Roosen dropped out with punctures, and Jos van Emden retired after a crash. Fortunately, he is okay. That left us a few riders short to position Olav properly after the Waseberg. Tim van Dijke did an excellent job for him, but in the final kilometres, Olav was on his own. It took too much effort. We started here with several young riders, which was a useful experience. Next year we will come back for a better result."