Visma | Lease a Bike explains what happened to Kooij on the first Giro climb and why they controlled the race for van Aert after he fell ill days ago

Kooij, like fellow sprinters Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) and Luca Mozzato (Arkéa - B&B Hotels), was reported to be experiencing difficulties on the first climb of the Giro d'Italia, which was confirmed afterward by Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Marc Reef in conversation with IDLProCycling.com. "Olav had to slow down there, but we shouldn't draw too many conclusions yet. It was his first effort back in the race, so that's no small feat."

"Olav came to the car for bidons, but then they just pushed on into the descent," Reef explained the difficult moment. "There were some gaps, but he quickly came back. Just before the first time up Surrel, Olav was already back at the front but quickly felt that the pace was too high. We had discussed that scenario as well."

How is the Dutch sprinter doing after his crash in Gent-Wevelgem on March 30? "Olav broke his collarbone and spent 5.5 weeks doing everything possible to regain top form. Then, it's always a matter of waiting to see how he responds. We are confident that he will be competitive, but when that will be is still unclear. Olav is starting here in the best form you can achieve in that time frame."

"It's far from ideal because he hasn't been able to ride for a while," says Reef. "Then he started training on the rollers, after which he had a very good training camp. It's also difficult to analyze data as a sprinter because you always have different race scenarios in which you have to sprint. We know that he can position himself well and has stamina. Normally, that should be fine, but if you had to map it out for the season, you would be talking about a different preparation."

Reef was also very happy with what he saw from his men. Edoardo Affini and Dylan van Baarle ensured perfect positioning. "Everyone else did what they had to do and what we had agreed. The guys we wanted were at the front," said the sports director.

Some people were surprised that Visma | Lease a Bike helped control the race despite Van Aert's recent illness. "We knew in advance that we were going to control the race," Reef confirmed afterward. "We don't want to shy away from that, but we also didn't want to end up in a situation where Wout would have won without working for it. We have an ally in Lidl-Trek, and I think we made the right decision. Steven Kruijswijk didn't have to ride at the front that much. It's a constant drag race, so you automatically end up at the front."

The mood at Visma | Lease a Bike was overall very positive after Van Aert's second place. "There were still thirty guys in that group, of whom Wout and Mathias Vacek were by far the strongest. It wasn't an easy day for anyone, which is never the case in the first grand tour stage, so I think we can conclude that we got off to a good start and can look ahead confidently," Reef concluded.