Olav Kooij: "I'm now at a point where I need to see how Visma | Lease a Bike wants to approach it"

Olav Kooij is about to embark on a momentous year. The Dutch sprinter from Visma | Lease a Bike has quickly established himself in the sprinters' league in recent years and is now considered a serious contender, but he still wants to make progress. IDLProCycling.com spoke to him ahead of 2025, in which he starts in the Muscat Classic (Friday) and Tour of Oman (Saturday). The season in which his contract also expires.

Kooij announced his program on the media day of Visma | Lease a Bike, and the eye naturally goes directly to the planned grand tours. The Dutch rider is heading to the Giro d'Italia again, which means no Tour de France, as his team sees Jonas Vingegaard's GC as its most significant priority. "We now have the program up to the Giro, with Copenhagen and the National Championship after that."

"I would also like to do the Vuelta, but that is still far away. However, more will be revealed about that at a later stage, exactly who will ride there,' he emphasized. 'I hadn't said no to the Tour de France, let that be clear. I would have liked to ride the Tour, but when we started talking about the program, it became clear to me that there was no place for me in the team's goals and the way they were formulated," Kooij adds.

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Kooij understands that Visma | Lease a Bike with no Dutch riders in the Tour de France is crazy

He does not throw in the towel, and certainly not in a situation like this. Still, Kooij was among the Visma | Lease a Bike Dutch riders who would at least qualify for a spot in the eight-man Tour team. "Something like that doesn't come out of nowhere; that's not a complete surprise. You know there are also enough other races to fulfill your cycling season beautifully. I think we're going to do that again."

The eight-man Tour team in 2025 now consists entirely of foreigners. "The team also positions itself in such a way that it is an international team with Dutch character. There is not much distinction in that. As a Dutch fan, you also want to see Dutch riders; I understand that the former speed skater points out. 'As a youngster, I also followed Dutch teams and riders more. So I can imagine what the feeling is of some of the Dutch cycling fans."

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Kooij would like to debut in the Tour de France

The desire for the Tour also increased as the years progressed for the young Kooij. "I am now getting to a point where that is also becoming an increasingly important factor towards the coming years. That is certainly something to look at, as is how the team wants to give substance to that. So whether I have some place in that does play a role."

He extended his commitment two years ago with Visma | Lease a Bike. "Last time, I was at a different point than now. Back then, I was still making progress towards that top. I had already won some races, but the absolute top was still far away. I was able to take that step; the situation is different now. Then, you can also set more specific goals. And that includes Tour stages, that's true."

To be clear, Kooij feels at home with Richard Plugge's team. "Since I have been with the team when I was young, I have been a frontman in most races in certain stages," he emphasizes. "I've managed to take a step up every year with this team, which has led to some nice wins. I think I can still improve and hope that can lead to more victories."

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Kooij finished second at the 2024 European Championships

More focus on the classics for Kooij

Kooij will also get his role back in the strong classic team of Visma | Lease a Bike. Then, we must consider races like Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, Gent-Wevelgem, Milan-Sanremo, and Brugge-De Panne. "For me, that role is the same as last year. I have competed in Gent-Wevelgem twice, and that role will remain the same. However, that is also the strength of this team: we are in the classics with more guys who can play a role and ride a good result."

"The classics are races you grow into in terms of content. I feel that over the years, this has become increasingly important. I've had some nice places of honor for a few years now, and this year, it would be nice to win one," says Kooij, who does not highlight any in terms of ambition. Not even a Monument like La Primavera. "Milan-Sanremo is not tactically the most complicated race. It was like that back then, and it's the same now: get to the Cipressa, try to survive it, and then repeat that story on the Poggio."

That Tadej Pogacar is riding both Milan-Sanremo and Gent-Wevelgem doesn't bother Kooij. "That doesn't change much for me. It's no secret that how he and his team race makes the classics harder at an earlier stage. You can train physiologically as a sprinter for that, but of course, I mainly do races that match my qualities. Competing for victory in those races is also part of the race situation. That just has to come your way."

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Kooij working with new lead-out: "There is mutual trust"

Kooij stayed with his team this winter but lost his regular lead-outs, Mick and Tim van Dijk. Dan McLay replaced them to help him. "I'm going to miss Mick and Tim. They're guys I've been racing with since the beginning of the Development Team, so you know them well by now. They are also nice guys to be on the road with."

"It will probably take some getting used to those new lineups in the first races. But McLay is a good addition," there is confidence for the new season, in which he suddenly faces the Van Dijke brothers at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. "The chemistry is there now, but how will that play out in the races, and how will you react to certain situations? But there is mutual trust."

"You can discuss that feeling in advance but can't explain it. You have to experience that," explains Kooij as a purebred sprinter. The team will decide who will assist him per race. "Maybe I don't have a fixed group, but someone like Niklas Behrens can also play his role in that train. And in the Giro, of course, with Wout van Aert and certainly also Edoardo Affini, someone I have been racing with for several years. That is a strong train."

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