Team Jumbo-Visma, along with the other sprinter teams, were in control all day. A breakaway of four riders was caught early on, and the race would inevitably end in a bunch sprint. Due to the conditions on the very slippery course where the finish line was drawn, the time for the classification was taken at the point where the riders turned onto the circuit.

Kooij went for the win in Poznań but was happy with the sprint: "We knew beforehand that there was a significant chance of rain, and the forecast came true. The rain made it quite slippery. You could feel your bike slipping occasionally, and we had to take that into consideration. I got out of the last corner quite well, but I lost a bit of momentum there. Unfortunately, I couldn't make up enough to win. Hopefully, it will work out later this week.”

In Poland, the Dutch sprinter returned to competition after a long training period. "I had a lot of rest and then started to build up again for the coming weeks. On a first race day like this, it is always a question of how your legs feel, but in this respect, I am reassured. At this stage of the season, I have several goals. It would be nice to win a stage in this race. I have great memories here because last year I won here for the first time in the WorldTour.”