Relieved Kooij celebrates after brilliant leadout from Van Aert and a hungry Visma | Lease a Bike: "With Wout, it’s different"

It marked the third Dutch stage win of this Giro, after Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL) sprinted to victory on stage four and Daan Hoole (Lidl Trek) clocked the fastest time trial on stage ten. While those two wins came as surprises, Kooij’s was one many had already penciled in before the race. The Dutchman took a Giro stage last year without a proper leadout and now has Wout van Aert and Edoardo Affini supporting him.

Van Aert was not in position on stage four and Affini lost the sprint train on stage six. “This is a huge relief,” Kooij admitted in the flash interview. “This is what we were waiting for, or at least what I was waiting for. We’ve grown during this Giro with Simon Yates doing well in the GC and Wout taking a stage on day nine. The first two sprints didn’t go as planned but I’m really happy we got it right this time.”

The fact that the win came only on stage 12 was tough for Kooij, and team director Marc Reef did not hide that. “There are fewer sprint chances in this Giro than in other years. We only had two opportunities so far and things didn’t go the way we had hoped. Olav was really eager and came here for a stage win. He worked incredibly hard for it in the five and a half weeks after his collarbone fracture in Gent-Wevelgem. He pushed himself to the limit. But success doesn’t come on demand.”

Reef and the staff didn’t need to calm Kooij down, but the relief was big nonetheless. “The belief was always there, but we knew things had to improve. Today they executed it perfectly and that’s fantastic for Olav. I don’t know if it was pressure, but the desire was definitely there. The last two chances didn’t work out, so the goal today was for the three of them to stick together and execute the plan. I think we were in control the whole time.”

Kooij admitted he was “hungry” for success. “I really wanted to win those first two sprints too, and it was a long wait for the next chance. When you feel like you have the speed to win, it feels good to finally prove it,” he said at the press conference. “We knew the sprint opportunities in this Giro would be spread out over three weeks. So it’s about getting through the other days as best as possible, by eating and recovering well. When the chances come, you need to be ready.”

And yes, Visma | Lease a Bike was more than ready. The team looked sharp and hungry, completely in control during the finale with Affini leading the charge before Van Aert delivered a monster lead-out. “Wout deserves an award, only he can do that,” Kooij said with a smile. “He accelerated into that final corner and I thought, oof, maybe that’s too early. The corner was wet and we lost some speed. But he’s Wout van Aert and he can hold it, which was perfect. Having him as support is extraordinary.”

The gratitude was clear, with Kooij executing the final plan like a true leader. “I told the guys we had to trust in waiting just a bit longer and bring me to that final corner.” Still, the yellow-and-black TGV hit the front a little early. “We didn’t want to be too far back. I was able to follow Casper (van Uden) and come around him in the end. Was I afraid of him? The competition is strong across the board, so you have to beat all of them. And that’s what we did.”

Reef also praised the execution from the team car. “On TV we saw they lost each other for a second, Olav and Wout were a bit further back, but they found each other at the right moment. Edoardo did a great job, and with 1 kilometer to go Wout took over and delivered a really strong lead-out. That was impressive, just like Olav’s sprint. The desire to win it together was really there. Sometimes you have to make a few key moves to stay connected, and this time it all worked out perfectly.”

Now that the first win is in the books, Visma | Lease a Bike is ready to push forward. “We are going to keep trying and aim for more stage wins and the GC with Simon Yates,” said a determined Olav Kooij. “This Giro is far from over. We were all hungry for success because we knew we had made mistakes in the first two sprints. We really wanted to win and we have the quality to do it. The morale was strong, even in the first week. Maybe Wout’s win in Siena gave us that extra boost and that helped us execute the plan today.”

Kooij also emphasized that he and Van Aert have developed solid chemistry over time. “Wout and I have raced together before and he has done lead-outs for me in the past. So the connection was already there, but with Wout it is just different. He can do more than most riders. You saw today how long he could hold the front. With every sprint we ride our bond keeps growing both on and off the bike.”

One thing is certain. We will be seeing plenty more yellow and black at the front in the coming days. “As a team we race every day for the best possible result, whether that is with me, with Wout or for the GC with Simon. We have several goals and full confidence in the chances we are chasing. Hopefully there is more to come.”

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | e-mail: [email protected])