The third stage of the Race of the Two Seas offered little spectacle. Six riders formed the day's escape and got a six-minute lead. With 45 kilometres to go, the group got caught and it seemed to indicate that a bunch sprint would decide the winner.

However, Tadej Pogacar, Marc Soler, Julian Alaphillipe and Tao Geoghegan Hart tried to prevent this scenario, but with ten kilometres to go, they were reeled in by a hungry peloton. Jos van Emden, Edoardo Affini and Tosh van der Sande guided Kooij to the front and put the youngster in a good position.

Although Kooij did his utmost to reward his team's hard work, he couldn't keep up with Caleb Ewan and Arnaud Démare. "When they attacked, I already felt that I would come up short for the victory," Kooij said. "It's nice to see how we approached the final. The fact that I've achieved another podium finish is certainly not bad."

Being labeled one of the favourites didn't bother him too much. "It's a good sign that the top riders take you seriously. It means you are very close to them. During the UAE Tour and the past two days, I showed that I'm not far off, so I don't have to be afraid of those guys."