Kooij has been wearing the Jumbo-Visma Development Team jersey from the beginning of this year. In his first season with the U23 riders he managed to win three races so far. The rider from Numansdorp, The Netherlands is the second talent after Gijs Leemreize to make the switch from the Development Team to the World Tour team of Team Jumbo-Visma.

“It went faster than I ever dreamed possible”, Kooij says. “Last year I was super happy to sign with the Development Team. That was already a very nice step. The fact that I can sign a professional contract so quickly is very special and really is a dream come true. I feel at home with this team. In the coming years I hope to develop myself further in sprinting. That is going very well at the moment and it is my weapon in my attempts to win races. I will continue to focus on that.”

“Olav is a very big talent”, sportive director Merijn Zeeman says. “In the few races he raced this year, he showed that he is incredibly fast and that he can win. That’s great for a first-year U23 rider. It is good for his development that he will compete at a higher level from next season on. This is also a great transfer for our Academy. This step confirms that Robbert de Groot and his staff are doing a good job.”