Kooij acknowledges he lacks 'extra man' in Tirreno, but praises Visma | Lease a Bike's mountain domestiques after crazy victory

What seemed like a nice transition stage was a true endurance test in the cold and with echelons. For a long time, it seemed as if Olav Kooij would not play a role in the fourth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico. After being chased for a long time, the Dutch rider from Visma | Lease a Bike caught up with the peloton, unexpectedly winning the sprint and demonstrating his strength. It was a remarkable comeback, a powerful statement, and, moreover, a boost of confidence, according to statements he made afterward.

Although he ultimately won the sprint convincingly, Kooij had been in trouble all day. "We had to fight for it," the 23-year-old Dutch rider sighed, first in the flash interview. "I thought I survived the climb of Valico La Crocetta because we kept the breakaway riders close by. On the plateau, however, the echelons took us by surprise. We had been misled."

An expensive miscalculation for Visma | Lease a Bike because the peloton was torn to pieces by the wind, with more than 80 kilometers still ahead of them. The Dutch formation had to work hard for Kooij, who was never far behind the first echelon but could not catch up for a long time. "Sometimes I thought I could return, but at other times, I no longer believed it was possible. But everyone worked incredibly hard."

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Kooij speaks of 'tough battle' after Tirreno stage win

Kooij was lucky to end up in a group with Soudal-Quick Step. The Belgian team was willing to work for GC man Mikel Landa and sprinter Paul Magnier. Israel-Premier Tech also pitched in, with Derek Gee lagging behind. It wasn't until the final lap, with 15 kilometers to go, that the second peloton caught up with the first. "When I returned, I had to switch gears and go for it," Kooij said.

After finishing fourth on day two, a tough race like this was perfect. There were no lead-outs in the sprint; it was anyone's race. After his second place in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Kooij showed that he was back to his old self after a period of illness. "I felt good and was looking forward to this race. I have competed here before, but I wanted to win. I am very happy that I succeeded after such a tough battle."

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Lack of a lead-out for Visma | Lease a Bike now suited Kooij well

In an interview with IDLProCycling.com, Kooij continued about the difficult chase. According to him, Visma | Lease a Bike always kept the faith. "In the end, I didn't have to go after them myself; others did that. When you finally get there, you know you have a chance. Especially in my case, I know that I still have a sprint left in my legs, although you can never be completely sure after a demanding day. In the end, I still had power left in my legs."

Kooij is capable of sprinting man-to-man, but of course, he also noticed the lack of a lead-out in the sprint on day 2 of the Tirreno earlier this week. "Having almost no lead-out was more of a problem during that stage than it was today. I lacked that extra man, someone like Edoardo Affini. However, we have an all-round team, and today, that actually worked out well. The guys chasing us had better legs uphill, which meant they could help me catch up more effectively."

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Uijtdebroeks calls Kooij 'mentally very strong'

The Killer Bees also showed themselves to be strong defensively, which was made possible by GC man Cian Uijtdebroeks being in the front group. "They rode uphill, but when INEOS pulled a group at the top, it was full steam ahead," the Belgian briefly reflected. 'I think they wanted to mess up the GC, so I had to push to stay with them. It was a tough day in harsh conditions, but we got through it well, and it's great that Olav could finish it off."

Uijtdebroeks is full of praise for his Dutch team captain, who often has to fend for himself in the Tirreno sprints. "This shows that he is mentally strong, especially today in such a stage. It was very hilly, so it's fantastic that he could still come back and position himself," he praised. Uijtdebroeks himself could do little for Kooij. "I was in the first group all day, riding for my GC. So I had to stay there. A lead-out, I'm not very good at that, haha! He's better off doing that himself."

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Cian Uijtdebroeks

Kooij trained well after Kuurne in preparation for Tirreno

How did Kooij manage to make up for lost training time after Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne? "I only had one good week of training before the Opening Weekend due to illness, so I was a big question mark. In the end, it was a good restart, and I could train well, especially in the good weather in the Netherlands. I am now back to the level I want to be at, to get even better in this race and win a stage. Thankfully, I succeeded."

All that remains now is one more sprint on the final day, with the Giro d'Italia already shining on the horizon in May. After his victory, Kooij did not want to say too much about the Giro d'Italia, where he would, in all likelihood, only get one lead-out with Wout van Aert. "We will try again on the last day. The team and I will focus on the GC for the next two days. I hope to try for the win on the final day and then move on to the classics. Then we will see what is possible. I will take a short break only after the spring, and then the Giro will follow."

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])     

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After a freezing cold stage with echelons, Kooij wins in Tirreno: All-Dutch Podium with Van der Poel and Pluimers

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