Olav Kooij: "You always want to win, but it's extra nice when you can beat the world's top riders"

Jumbo Visma rider Olav Kooij secured his twelfth win of the season today in the Munsterland Giro. The rider beat some of the best riders in the world, including Jasper Philipsen, Fabio Jakobsen and Dylan Groenewegen, in the final sprint and took the victory.

“You wait all day for a sprint, and then you hope to sprint in the end," said Kooij. He continues, "I managed to find a gap at the end and felt I had another acceleration in my legs. It's nice to get another win. It's been a good season, and then you want to end it nicely. I'm very happy with this."

However, he was not in the best health at the start of the race. "I wasn't feeling too good after my trip back from Australia, so I didn't really know what to expect. However, in the final, I had the good feeling again and apparently there was still something in the legs," said Kooij.

He did not forget to appreciate his teammate’s efforts in the race which was crucial for his victory. "It went very fast in the final laps. We had one man less ourselves in the final since Edo's chain fell off. Moreover, we also started the race with only five riders, but everyone did a good job. For that, I am very grateful to them."

When asked about how he felt beating some of the best riders in the world. "Of course, you always want to win, but it's extra nice when you can beat the world's top riders. They have already shown it in big tours. I hope to do the same soon,” concluded Kooij.