Olav Kooij suffers fractured collarbone as crash curse strikes Team Visma | Lease a Bike again at Gent Wevelgem
Cycling
Mads Pedersen delivered a masterclass in solo racing to
claim victory at Gent Wevelgem on Sunday, while Team Visma | Lease a Bike were
left to rue a challenging and ultimately frustrating day on Flemish roads. And, yet another crash for one of their riders: Olav Kooij.
The race, shaped by favourable winds, saw early splits in
the peloton that created echelons and dictated much of the day’s outcome. Visma
managed to place several riders in strong positions as the groups formed.
Olav
Kooij and Tiesj Benoot made it into the first echelon, while Matteo Jorgenson,
Dan McLay, and Tosh Van der Sande followed closely behind in a second chasing
group. Victor Campenaerts, initially caught out, was able to regain contact
when the two groups came together, positioning the team well for the
Kemmelberg.
Visma had planned to animate the race ahead of the climbs,
and according to Campenaerts, things were unfolding as expected until disaster
struck.
“The plan was to anticipate before the climbs of the
Kemmelberg,” Campenaerts said after the race in the team’s press release. “That
worked out, but shortly after, I heard the news that Olav had crashed. That hit
hard, but we had to refocus. In the end, we have to admit that there was no
stopping Pedersen today. I tried to follow him, but I just couldn’t match his
pace.”
Kooij’s crash occurred at a pivotal moment in the race. As
Pedersen launched the decisive attack on the Plugstreets, Kooij had responded
and was on the Dane’s wheel. But shortly after, he misjudged a corner and hit
the deck, ruling Visma’s fastest finisher out of contention just as the
race-winning move was forming.
Sports director Arthur van Dongen reflected on the race’s
turning point with a mix of regret and realism.
“We had several riders in the front echelons, and Victor was
well positioned in the race, so everything was going according to plan,” van
Dongen explained. “On the Plugstreet, Olav followed Pedersen’s attack, but
shortly after, he misjudged a corner. The race could have played out
differently – with Victor up front and Olav on Pedersen’s wheel, we would have
had a perfect situation. But that’s cycling, unfortunately.”
With Wout van Aert absent from the start list as he
continues to build form for Flanders and Roubaix, and with Kooij out of
contention after the crash, Visma were left without a real card to play in the
finale. Campenaerts did his best to respond to Pedersen’s move, but like
everyone else, was left in the Dane’s wake as the Lidl-Trek rider powered clear
to win in style.
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment