Kooij praises McLay and discusses future plans: "For now, this is the best team"

The competition among the top sprinters has become increasingly fierce in recent years, especially in the Netherlands. Olav Kooij might be the rider who has shown the most progress over the last few years. 2024 was a mixed year for him, with wins in the Giro and races like Paris-Nice, but also setbacks such as illness and crashes. Now, the recovered sprinter can slowly turn the page toward 2025.

Kooij spoke about the upcoming year with Cyclingnews. The 23-year-old sprint sensation from Visma | Lease a Bike still has plenty of goals but understands that his team aims to excel in multiple, especially different, areas. A debut in the Tour? "I think it's maybe not the most likely. In the next few weeks or December camp, we will talk about the race program and see what our goals are and how we want to go and attack the season," he said cheerfully.

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Olav Kooij narrowly missed out on the European title in September 

Kooij considers 2025 but also beyond: "For now, this team is the best"

What has happened to other Visma | Lease a Bike sprinters could also happen to Kooij. The team’s constant focus on Jonas Vingegaard's general classification ambitions makes it difficult to bring a sprinter to the Tour. For 2025, Kooij is not overly concerned. "I'm most of all just focusing on next year and going into the spring in good shape already. And then bringing it into a grand tour. Then of course I also have to think about what I want in the future and what's the best place to be. But for now, I'm really, really happy with the team."

His response hints at it: Kooij is considering the Tour. Still, he doesn’t overlook what Visma has meant to him so far. "I started my under-23 career there and developed through to a rider winning at WorldTour level, winning a grand tour stage, so I think really have to be also excited for the future." Moreover, he will soon have the experienced sprinter Dan McLay as a luxury lead-out. "I'm really excited, yes. I can also learn from his experience. I think a big part of being a good lead-out is the experience."

"It's not a job that's easy for young guys," continues the rider from Overijssel. "You see a lot of guys coming through but for this specific role, you really need this experience to make the right decisions at the right time. I look forward to starting working with him." For 2025, Kooij hopes to come back stronger after the streak of bad luck last season. "I think it only makes you more hungry, knowing that you're capable of doing it. Now I'm pain-free again and it's good to be back on the bike without any problems."

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