Visma's Olav Kooij aims to become the best sprinter next year: "I’ve already beaten them"

Can Kooij ever become the sprinter everyone wants to beat? "I think I can be, yeah," he told Rouleur. "I think I can win and I’ve won a few times at WorldTour level this year. On a good day, I can beat maybe everyone. If you look at the wins, Philipsen, Merlier and Milan were on the top step more this year, but I was close behind them. We go into every race trying to win, we believe we can win, and I’ve beaten them. To make that next step, to maybe be the best one, is what we are aiming for."

Kooij secured eight victories in 2024, but his biggest rivals — including Philipsen, Merlier, Milan and Mads Pedersen — won more. "Part of getting better is experience, doing those finals every year, making the right decisions in the sprint,” Kooij explained when asked how he plans to close the gap. "Improving physically as well, getting a bit stronger and finding a bit more speed. I also try to improve with gym work and more explosive training."

This year, Kooij raced the Giro, and he is expected to compete in at least one grand tour again next season. However, a Tour de France appearance seems unlikely due to team priorities and internal competition. It’s a situation similar to Kaden Groves at Alpecin-Deceuninck. "To be honest, I don’t really look at it like that," Kooij said. "I just try to get a nice program, find my goals in that, and not compare it to other sprinters. I think Visma is one of the biggest teams, one of the best teams, there is obviously great support here, and I’ve made some nice steps in the last year. I have to keep it going, keep getting bigger wins each year, and try to focus on the chances I have and do the best I can."