Visma | Lease a Bike continues to fight against germs after Kooij's withdrawal: "If it's in the peloton.."

Visma | Lease a Bike is still grappling with challenges in the Giro d'Italia. The Dutch team celebrated a victory on Sunday's stage in Naples with Olav Kooij, but just two days later, the mood drastically shifted: the sprinter was unable to start stage ten of the Giro. Sports director Marc Reef provided insight.

"This is a significant setback for us," Reef expressed to IDLProCycling.com. "Having him here at the Giro, we really had high hopes. Despite the setback with the crash, he managed to soldier on. He could participate in the sprints, but it wasn't ideal. When you get your third chance, you expect more. So, to face another setback just a day later is frustrating."

"Primarily, it's a blow for him, especially in his debut grand tour," the sports director emphasized. "But it's also disappointing for the team, as it was a key objective in this race. Nonetheless, we have to adapt and overcome. Despite facing some setbacks in recent days, we've managed to maintain morale. This resilience led to the stage win and the impressive performance of Cian Uijtdebroeks in the standings. We'll continue with that spirit."

Reef mentioned before the rest day that there were some cases of coughing within the team. Apart from Olav, some others experienced symptoms, but their conditions improved. The rest day was beneficial. However, Olav developed illness symptoms during the rest day, including a high fever, prompting the medical staff to rule out his participation.

"It seems to be spreading within the peloton, and while most have been affected, the recovery is underway for these other guys," Reef observed. "We hope it continues this way. There's a lot of coughing, and you can observe it in other teams too, with riders withdrawing. If it's circulating in the peloton, it's almost inevitable for it to infiltrate the team."

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Visma | Lease a Bike must rearrange after Kooij's withdrawal

After Robert Gesink and Christophe Laporte, Kooij becomes the third member to return home. "Olav is usually more reserved, but he consistently steps up when needed. We'll certainly miss that. Additionally, he's a team player always willing to lend a hand," the team manager remarked.

"We were aiming for stage victories, and we've secured one so far, but we're hungry for more. Without Olav, our focus will shift more towards breakaways," Reef explained. "Of course, we have Cian, whom we've supported well over the past nine days. Our attention will be more on him now. There's still a lot to be done, and he'll continue to pursue his opportunities, which we can approach confidently."