After a perfect lead-out, Kooij nearly caught by Decathlon Norwegian but edges out first stage of Tour of Britain

For many riders, the Tour of Britain was a chance to get back into racing shape. Several riders hadn't raced since the Tour de France, but notable returnees included Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers). Geraint Thomas was also there, but for the 39-year-old Brit, it would be his very last race in the professional peloton. That's why his team rode in a special jersey.

The GC contenders would have to wait until the last three stages, because the first stages would be for the fast riders. This was also the case for the opening stage to Southwold. Nevertheless, four attackers attempted: Joshua Golliker (British national team) was joined by Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma) and two Belgians from Flanders-Baloise, namely Milan Lanhove and Victor Vercouille. While Picnic PostNL and Soudal Quick-Step set the pace, the four managed to extend their lead to around 3 minutes.

That gap gradually closed in the last 60 kilometers thanks to the work of INEOS Grenadiers, Visma | Lease a Bike, and Unibet Tietema Rockets. With 20 kilometers to go, the breakaway riders had only about 30 seconds left: a sprint seemed inevitable. The Killer Bees did a lot of work, and that was for Olav Kooij. Right? The team also had Matthew Brennan in its ranks. He would love to win in his home country!

The leading group fought hard: it was Vercouille who was the last to remain there. The Belgian held on for a long time, but in the last 5 kilometers, the brave lone rider was caught by the approaching pack. Visma | Lease a Bike continued to hold their own at the front, but INEOS Grenadiers, Picnic PostNL, Uno-X, and Unibet also joined the fray.

In the final kilometers, Brennan was ahead of Kooij: it was clear that today was for the Dutchman. A magnificent lead-out put Kooij in a perfect position. Brennan made his move about 300 meters from the finish, but Kooij started his sprint very late. He was almost surprised by Tord Gudmestad (Decathlon AG2R), but with a final jump, he managed to win.