Superior Kooij takes second stage win in Tour of Oman
Olav Kooij convincingly took his second stage victory in the Tour of Oman. In the bunch sprint, the 23-year-old sprinter from Team Visma | Lease a Bike proved to be the strongest. With the win, Kooij regained the lead in the points classification.
The day before the all-decisive final stage, a relatively easy day awaited the peloton. Immediately after the start signal was given, three riders went clear and established a nine-minute gap. Led by Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the chase was initiated and the last remaining escapee was caught at 12 kilometres from the finish line.
Kooij was brought to the finish in a seat and timed his sprint perfectly. With great display of power, he outsprinted Giacomo Nizzolo and Luis Aular. "It feels good to win for the second time", Kooij said afterwards. "We knew it was important to be well positioned in the last kilometre. I chose the right wheel and set up my sprint at the right moment."
Kooij, who took his first win of the season on Saturday, is grateful to his teammates for all the work they did. "We took our responsibility and made sure the leaders were caught. The guys rode great. This victory is partly thanks to them", Kooij said.
Tomorrow, the Tour of Oman ends with an finish atop of Green Moutain. Cian Uijtdebroeks is in seventh place and hopes to move up in the general classification.