The 67th edition of the six-stage 4 Jours de Dunkerque includes two hilly stages, an individual time trial and three flat stages. This means that Olav Kooij will have some sprinting opportunities. He is looking forward to his first appearance in Dunkirk.

Kooij has had a good spring. After a couple of solid finishes in the UAE Tour, the 21-year-old Dutchman took a stage win at Paris-Nice, and he also showed himself in a couple of Flemish spring classics. "Overall, I am happy with how my spring has gone”, Kooij says. "The sprint victory in Paris-Nice and my performances in races like Brugge-De Panne and Gent-Wevelgem have given me a positive feeling. I am happy to have made some progress again.”

For the sprinter, the 4 Jours de Dunkerque will be his first race since Dwars door Vlaanderen at the end of March. "I had a period of rest and training after the spring. This allowed me to prepare for the upcoming races, including this one. I'm looking forward to it. I've never raced the 4 Jours de Dunkerque before; it's always nice to discover a new race".

The first two stages are tailor-made for the sprinters. A 15-kilometre individual time trial is scheduled for day three. Three more stages will follow, including the queen stage to Mont Cassel. "It is a race with opportunities for me. I expect three stages to end in a sprint so that a stage win will be a goal. We are also starting with a strong team. If a teammate has a good position in the general classification after the time trial, we have to analyse our chances day by day”, he concludes.

Kooij will be joined by his teammates Mick van Dijke, Jos van Emden, Timo Roosen, Tosh Van der Sande, Per Strand Hagenes and Loe van Belle.