Kooij recorded his 12th win of the season in Münster, making it the 47th win for his team. "Winning is always good, but it's even nicer when you defeat some world-class riders", Kooij said. "They have all already won stages in a grand tour. I'm hoping to soon be able to do the same."

As expected, the Münsterland Giro ended in a bunch sprint. Kooij was well led to the front by his teammates and when he saw a gap in the closing metres, he took off like a rocket. With a great display of power, he outsprinted all his opponents. "I am happy that I could finish off my teammates' work. I am very grateful to them."

Kooij, who finished fifth at the World Under-23 Championships two weeks ago, acknowledged he had some doubts going into the race. "I didn't feel very rested when I came back from Australia, so I didn't really know what to expect today. Fortunately, I had strong legs in the final and could even shift up a gear."

The Dutchman highlighted his strong season with his victory in Münster. Kooij can reflect on a productive year thanks to stage wins in Sarthe, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and ZLM Tour. "Although the season has been wonderful thus far, I want to end it well. My next races are Gran Piemonte and Paris-Tours, and then it's time for holidays."