Kooij looks forward to sprint opportunities in Paris-Nice
From Sunday, March 5 to Sunday, March 12, Team Jumbo-Visma will be at the start of the Paris-Nice with a solid and well-rounded team. In the race to the sun, the black-and-yellow formation will start with ambitions for both the overall classification and stage wins. Olav Kooij aims to win one or more of the flat stages.
Many cycling enthusiasts will recall the previous year's event. Wout van Aert, Christophe Laporte, and Primoz Roglic rode away from the pack during the first stage before coming together to cross the finish line first. Later, Roglic won the final classification. As a result, Team Jumbo-Visma is the eight-day French stage race's reigning champion.
Kooij is eager to start the race. "Paris-Nice is a race at the highest level. In the upcoming week, many world-class cyclists will compete here. I look forward to starting there and measuring myself against the absolute best in the world. It went well in Valencia and at the Emirates, and I came very close to winning several times. I hope my good form will result in a victory this week. In any case, I feel good", the 21-year-old rider says.
"Together, we're going to turn it into something beautiful"
Kooij has some strong riders, including Nathan Van Hooydonck and Edoardo Affini, who can aid him in his sprint preparation. The absence of Laporte is a setback. Due to his illness, the Frenchman cannot participate in his home race. "First of all, Christophe feels a great deal of disappointment. It is also a loss for me because he is among the greatest in the world regarding putting on the sprint. But fortunately, there are enough strong guys on the team to pilot me towards my sprint for victory. Together, we're going to turn it into something beautiful."
The upcoming Paris-Nice has four high and medium mountain stages and several flat stages. On day three, a team time trial covering more than 30 kilometers is planned in and around Dampierre-en-Burly. "We want to get a good result there", Kooij says. "We have strong riders on our team who are cut out for that work. With an eye on Jonas's classification, we must do well as a team. The GC is a main goal in addition to going for stage victories in the flat stages."
Kooij sees opportunities on day one already. "Presumably, the first stage will result in a sprint. An additional motivation is the yellow jersey. It is special in cycling, and everyone will be keen to claim the first leader's jersey. The same goes for me. If I can strike on day one, that would be fantastic. However, the competition is fierce due to the abundance of fast riders at the start, including Sam Bennett, Arnaud De Lie, and Tim Merlier. I hope to cement my good form in the coming week with a stage win."
