Race report | 10 June 2022, 17:38

Third consecutive podium finish for Kooij in ZLM Tour

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Olav Kooij has added another podium to his ZLM Tour tally. After his victories in the first two stages, Kooij had to settle for second place in the third stage.

Nieuws

It took the riders partly through the hills of Limburg. The question was whether there would be a sprint at the finish in Buchten.

Six riders broke away early in the race and got a four-minute lead. On behalf of Team Jumbo-Visma, Lars Boven immediately took control of the peloton and slowly reduced the gap. After the riders passed the hill zone, it had become clear the stage would end in a sprint.

Despite all his pulling at the front in the hill zone, Boven was again attentive. The young Team Jumbo-Visma rider rode a solid final and almost single-handedly reeled in the leading group. It was then up to his teammates to set up the sprint. This worked perfectly with Mick van Dijke as the last pawn for classification leader Kooij. In a fair sprint, Mareczko was slightly faster.

"Unfortunately, I did not have the legs to finish it off"

Olav Kooij

"I still have mixed feelings", Kooij acknowledged. "We knew the stage could potentially make a difference in the GC. We also knew we were heading for a sprint when we were through the hill zone. From then on, we focused on the day's win, and the guys rolled out the red carpet for me. Unfortunately, I didn't have the legs to finish it off. That's a shame, but it was a fair sprint."