Olav Kooij eyes Giro d’Italia alongside Wout van Aert despite collarbone fracture at Gent Wevelgem
Cycling
Olav Kooij is on track to return to racing at next month’s
Giro d’Italia, despite suffering a fractured collarbone at Gent-Wevelgem
earlier this April. The 23-year-old Dutch sprinter remains on Team Visma |
Lease a Bike’s list for the Grand Tour, which begins on May 9th.
Kooij had enjoyed a promising start to his 2025 season prior
to the crash. He claimed victories at the Tour of Oman, finished second at
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, and secured a classy stage win at Tirreno-Adriatico.
His eighth-place finish at Milano-Sanremo further underlined his development
into one of the peloton’s most consistent fast finishers.
His spring campaign, however, was derailed at Gent Wevelgem.
Kooij crashed at a crucial point in the race, just as Mads Pedersen launched
the decisive attack on the Plugstreets, Kooij responded and was right on the
Dane’s wheel. But shortly after, he misjudged a corner and hit the ground,
ruling Visma’s top sprinter out of contention as the race-winning move formed.
Despite the setback, Kooij remains part of Visma’s Giro
plans. He will be joined by Wout van Aert, who is still searching for his first
victory of the 2025 season. The Giro holds special significance for Kooij, who
took a stage win at the 2024 edition, one of the few highlights in what was
otherwise a difficult race for the team.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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