Kooij last in the first stage of UAE Tour: "The main goal was just to get through this stage"

Kooij had already started the ride with an unsettled feeling and visibly struggled to maintain his position in the pack. While preparations for the expected bunch sprint were in full swing, the 23-year-old Dutch rider fell further behind. More than thirty kilometers before the finish, he had to let the group go. Together with teammate Julien Vermote, he eventually crossed the line in 139th place, more than 14 minutes behind the winner.

The Dutch team switched to a sprint at the front. Thanks to the preparatory work of Daniel McLay and Niklas Behrens, the Brit managed to position himself well and sprinted to a well-deserved eleventh place on the uphill finish in Liwa. This was a solid start to the week for Gloag, aiming for a good final ranking.

"It’s impressive that Thomas was able to contest the sprint for the top positions," sports director Jesper Mørkøv said to the team afterward. "Thomas and Bart Lemmen will have the opportunity to compete for the general classification this week. Today was a good opener. As for Olav, I’m glad he made it to the finish. We knew beforehand that he wasn’t feeling well, so the main goal was just to get through this stage."

So mixed feelings at Visma l Lease a Bike. Tomorrow, a time trial will be on the program. The course is around twelve kilometers and is a blueprint of the time trial the UAE Tour presented to the riders in 2024. Then, it was a UAE party because Brandon McNulty won, and Jay Vine and Mikkel Bjerg shared the podium. The twelve-kilometer time trial is something for the fast riders. There are no changes in elevation on the course, and there are hardly any turns or difficult obstacles along the way. This should be very appealing for men who can pedal at high speeds.

It will be the first important day for the GC riders. Gloag and Lemmen must ensure their success tomorrow. Kooij will focus on his recovery in the coming days, hoping it will improve slightly.