Under a bright Italian sun, the riders left Camaiore in southern direction towards Sovicille for the longest stage of this Tirreno. Shortly after the start, five riders formed the day's breakaway, but an eight-minute lead proved insufficient to surprise the peloton.

After a late attempt by Marc Soler had also been nipped in the bud, the sprinters prepared for a bunch sprint after 219 kilometers. Kooij was not in ideal position in the narrow streets of Sovicille, but thanks to a powerful sprint he managed to take second place.

"Considering the good legs I had, second place is a bit of a bummer," Kooij said. "The UAE Tour had given me a lot of confidence and I wanted to go for the victory here. It's a shame I ended up second."

According to sports director Maarten Wijnants, the wind, the climbs and the narrow streets made it a hectic final. "In the last three kilometres we were not in the ideal position and I thought it would not manage to take a podium place. Only a few seconds later I saw that Olav had come second and I thought: how is that possible?"

Despite missing out on the stage victory, Kooij is looking forward to the coming days with a positive feeling. "The speed and condition are good. If we can start the sprint from a good position, we definitely have a chance to take a victory."