Kooij's train is fully on track after Van Aert drops out, but what are Visma | Lease a Bike's plans with Uijtdebroeks?

There was a time when the press conference of Visma | Lease a Bike was a well-attended event. However, as the Giro d'Italia approached, the Dutch team seemed to be plagued with bad news. On the eve of the first grand tour of the year, the primary question seems to be: will everyone stay fit and healthy? If so, then the "Killer Bees" might just make a big impact over the next three weeks. IDLProCycling.com spoke with the main characters.

After last year's Giro selection for Visma | Lease a Bike suffered a COVID outbreak and a last-minute time trial crash involving Jan Tratnik, the past few months have been challenging as well. Wout van Aert and Wilco Kelderman were sidelined with injuries, and this week, Koen Bouwman was sidelined due to illness. Christophe Laporte and Tim van Dijke were brought in as replacements. This doesn't seem to diminish Olav Kooij's chances. Initially teaming up with Van Aert and Edoardo Affini for the Giro, he now counts on Laporte, Affini, and Van Dijke. An extra carriage on the track, with Jan Tratnik as an additional weapon.

"I didn't expect to be here, but when Wout dropped out, I was asked to join. Now I'm happy to be here. I'll be there for Olav and might even get a chance to break away," said Laporte about his inclusion in the Giro, after it was clear that Van Aert would miss the Giro due to his crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Van Dijke had to join even later. Bouwman fell ill in the Tour of Romandie. "I was waiting in suspense actually. I was supposed to rest after Romandie, after a long spring. But Merijn (Zeeman, ed.) quickly said that if Koen didn't improve, they'd like to take me along. That's really cool, so I rested and packed my suitcase. It's true that I said I needed some rest after the spring. But you mentally prepare for that, right? I had planned some things with friends and family, but when you hear this news, suddenly you're not tired anymore. It's all about your mental strength, really!"

Kooij welcomes Van Dijke's addition. "Looking at the sprint stages, he’s a fantastic asset. However, we had also targeted wins in the tougher stages, and we haven't necessarily gained much strengthin that area. Personally, not much has changed for me, but it certainly has for the team dynamic. I believe we still have a strong lineup." Cian Uijtdebroeks, one of the remaining climbers, concurs. "It’s challenging, particularly for Tim. The Giro isn’t just a short trip; it’s a three-week ordeal. But it’s clear that the guys who joined the team at the last minute are all incredibly driven. We’re all in."

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Uijtdebroeks feels adequate support for GC ambitions

Uijtdebroeks is not worried about his own ambitions. Besides aiming for stage wins with Kooij, the young Belgian is eager to compete for a strong general classification, or as his agent mentioned, the white young rider jersey. "It's not that I'm without support in my goal to ride a good classification. With Attila (Valter, ed.) and Robert (Gesink, ed.), we have guys who can step up when needed. There's no big problem there. On the final climbs, it's every man for himself, and my job is to hang on as long as possible. Starting from the first day, it’s critical not to lose time, and the second day's ride to Oropa will be challenging, especially with UAE-Team Emirates pushing the pace for Pogacar. I need to ensure I'm in the mix at the finales of those stages."

Uijtdebroeks feels positive about his condition, having last competed in March at the Tour of Catalonia. "I rested after that and then got back to training. I’m feeling fresh and prefer to approach a Grand Tour with fewer races under my belt beforehand, just as I did last year for the Vuelta. It's hard to compare my current form to back then. I'm not sure how I'll feel in the third week, but I believe my preparations have been effective. Now it's about making adjustments and fine-tuning, with an eye on future improvements. I’m really looking forward to the race."

With a significant 70 kilometers of time-trialling, Uijtdebroeks knows he has to perform exceptionally well. "Those will be crucial, indeed. We’re deep in that process, I can’t suddenly ride much better time trials in three or four months. It will take a year or two to perfect my position on the bike. But we’ve worked hard in the last few months on core strength, body flexibility, positioning, and finding the right match with the bike during intervals and efforts. With the time we had, we’ve made a good step and I hope to be further along than last year. However, there’s still a long way to go. The two time trials will show us where I stand and what can be improved. We don’t yet have much data from competition."

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Is the points classification an option for Kooij?

Turning back to Kooij, now that the staff has been assembled, it’s time to see if everything clicks in the sprint stages. "So far, everything is going smoothly. After taking a break post-spring classics, I slowly ramped up my preparation for the Giro. That definitely helped. I see about six to seven opportunities for myself. Optimistically, maybe even eight," the sprint leader mentioned in a team press release. He'll have to outmaneuver a field brimming with top sprinters. "It’s a formidable lineup. It won’t be easy, but I believe I can come out on top. My stage win at the UAE Tour is solid proof of that."

During Thursday's press conference, Kooij acknowledged Jonathan Milan, Tim Merlier, and Caleb Ewan as competitors who could pose significant challenges. The points classification—and its coveted purple jersey—is certainly on the radar. "Our primary goal is a stage win, and the first week will tell us a lot about the prospects for the purple jersey. It's definitely something we're considering if we're in a good position after the first week," Kooij noted. Van Dijke chimed in, "We’re initially gunning for stage victories, as many as we can manage. Olav is incredibly focused on his tasks. He remains composed within the team but is clear about his goals. I see a highly determined Olav. He’s a natural winner, and I think we are going to see that."

Van Dijke knows what he’s talking about. Kooij has been his teammate and good friend for years, part of a trio with his brother Mick van Dijke, who isn’t here. "He’s really very proud of me and that feels very good. We weren’t scheduled to do a grand tour, and to be here at the start with Olav is really special. I will definitely contribute to victories with him, hopefully. It’s extra special with Olav. All three of us came from the development team and have done many sprints with him. That I now get to do this in the Giro is incredible and makes my first grand tour even more memorable."

In summary: Uijtdebroeks has a unique role, Kooij gets a good replacement for Van Aert

In conclusion, despite a spring full of setbacks, Visma | Lease a Bike seems to be hitting the road with a strong team and clear goals. The sprint train is fully on track, and the strategy for launching Kooij into action is set. "Normally, Christoph leads him out, then it’s me, and before me, Edoardo. That’s pretty cool," reveals Van Dijke. "Wout van Aert, can take on the tasks of two riders, but we can do the same with Christophe and Edo aswell. Now that I'm also here, we have even more firepower. That’s great because it’s a very strong sprint field. For me, this is a huge opportunity, and I really want to get this Giro in my legs because I believe it will be another step in the right direction for my development, after a very good spring."

Van Dijke is also prepared to dig deep on the mountainous stages. "I'll fulfill my responsibilities without overexerting myself. Sometimes I'll be in the gruppetto, but I want to be there to support Cian," he states. This shows how seriously Uijtdebroeks is being taken within the team. "Our aim is to win as many stages as possible, but since I'm targeting the general classification, I'll be racing a bit more conservatively to achieve the best possible results. Securing the white jersey would be incredible, although Thymen Arensman from INEOS Grenadiers is a strong contender. Aiming for the top ten doesn't conflict with our team's goals of stage victories."

Wout van Aert is no longer a topic. "It’s obviously a huge disappointment that he can’t be here. For him, for me, and for the team. We were both looking forward to this moment and had made a goal of this Giro. But it is what it is," Kooij mentioned in the previously cited press release. When asked at the press conference if he expects any input from Van Aert, he shakes his head. "He’ll have enough on his plate with his rehabilitation and getting back in shape. We'll do this with these eight, and the rest will undoubtedly be cheering us on from their TVs!"