Kooij takes second consecutive stage win at Tour of Britain
Olav Kooij has won the second stage of the Tour of Britain. The 21-year-old Dutch sprinter took his second win in a row after another strong lead-out from Wout van Aert. Kooij and Van Aert are now first and second in the general classification.
Jos van Emden and Steven Kruijswijk ensured a four-man break got little space. Their gap never exceeded one minute, and a technical final awaited. Kooij escaped a crash in the final and managed to stay upright.
In the final kilometre, Edoardo Affini positioned Van Aert and Kooij perfectly. The Belgian put in a strong lead-out in the narrow streets of Wrexham, allowing Kooij to win after a relatively short sprint. Van Aert himself crossed the line in third.
"I hope those who crashed are all right"
"All the teams gave us the initiative on this short stage", Kooij said. "We put Jos and Steven in the lead to take the lead group back. We knew that the last kilometre was going to be quite twisty. It was crucial to be at the front; fortunately, we managed that. Wout accelerated on a slightly uphill section just in time, so I only had to finish it off. Now, it's a matter of resting well and preparing for the rest of the week."
The crash was also a bit of a shock for Kooij: "It's always scary to see a crash at high speed. I hope those who crashed are all right."
Kooij's victory brings Team Jumbo-Visma’s season tally to 54 wins. Kooij's tally now stands at ten.
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Pictures: SWpix.com
