“This feels great, especially after yesterday” – Olav Kooij bounces back from crash to take stage 2 win at Renewi Tour 2025

Olav Kooij made the perfect response to the frustration of stage one at the Renewi Tour, sprinting to victory in Ardooie to claim both his first career stage win at the race and the leader’s jersey.

The 22-year-old from Team Visma | Lease a Bike had been left disappointed the previous day after being brought down in a late crash that cost him the chance to contest the sprint. Twenty-four hours later, however, he was back at the sharp end, rounding off strong teamwork from his squad and timing his run to perfection in a scrappy finale.

“This feels great, especially after I couldn’t sprint yesterday because of a crash,” Kooij said at the finish to VTM Nieuws. “We hit the front quite early, which was good for saving energy. In the last kilometre I did get boxed in a few times and I was worried I wouldn’t get the chance to sprint, but a gap opened up and I was able to come through. I’d never won a stage here before, so this one was on my list.”

The day had been animated by crosswinds and repeated attempts to split the race apart, with Tim Wellens and Mathieu van der Poel both aggressive on the front when the echelons formed. Although those moves came to nothing, they added to the nervous energy in the bunch. The peloton thundered into Ardooie at full speed, and once again it came down to the sprinters.

Kooij was the most powerful in the finale, holding off Pavel Bittner to secure victory. The result also propelled him into the overall lead, though he was quick to downplay any ambitions beyond day-to-day success. “We’ll see how the race develops and how the legs feel,” he added. “I’m not really thinking about the general classification, I just wanted to get a win here.”

For Tim Merlier, who had opened the Renewi Tour with victory in Hulst, there was no repeat performance. The Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter looked to launch at the right moment but found himself outgunned by Kooij’s speed in the headwind run-in.

“It was really hectic and I’m just glad I stayed upright,” Merlier admitted. “It’s already a difficult finish in terms of timing, and the headwind made it even trickier. The moment I wanted to go, they were already coming past me five kilometres an hour quicker.”

Merlier, who cut a disappointed figure in the immediate aftermath, later acknowledged that adrenaline had got the better of him. “I’m usually quite calm, but sometimes it boils over,” he said. “It was very nervous out there and that made it all the more annoying.”