Visma | Lease a Bike selects Kooij and top talent Brennan for the Tour of Poland and has clear plans for them

This is the first time the two fast men will compete in the same race. “Unlike last year, we don't have any GC riders with us, but we have a strong team around Olav and Matthew. Olav is our leader in the flat stages and Matthew will try to take his chances in the more difficult stages,” said sports director Jesper Morkov.

“Besides the fact that Matthew can provide an excellent lead-out for Olav, it is beneficial for his development to learn how to set up a sprint,” said the Dane, brother of professional lead-out man Michael. “Of course, it remains to be seen how it will turn out, but I am confident that it will go well.”

The 19-year-old Brit, who has already scored nine times this year, is looking forward to the Polish stage race. “I'm looking forward to racing with Olav. He has proven himself to be one of the best sprinters in the world in recent years, so I'm sure I can learn a lot from him. As a lead-out, you see the sprint from a different view and notice things you wouldn't normally see. ”

“Those are very valuable lessons,” Brennan believes. “It's important for my development to see how a sprinter works and how he uses his abilities. Although it's a completely new experience for me, I think it will help me a lot in the future,” said the rider, who has been so successful this year.

“I really enjoyed it. At the start of the season, my goal was to win a race, but I have far exceeded my own expectations. It's great that the team doesn't put any pressure on me and focuses on my development. That way, I can continue to make progress in the right direction.”

Matthew Brennan
Olav Kooij
Menno Huising
Steven Kruijswijk
Niklas Behrens
Attila Valter
Tosh Van der Sande