While Kooij benefited from a flawless lead-out yesterday, the yellow-and-black formation lost each other slightly in today’s finale. The Dutchman found his own way and powered to his second consecutive win. It was already the sixth time in his career that he raised his arms in triumph at the Tour of Britain. “It seems like this race suits me well.”
“Compared to yesterday, we had to work harder with more riders to bring back the breakaway. In the finale, we had fewer teammates left, but I was well-positioned with Matthew. At the very end I lost him, picked my own line, and jumped onto the right wheel. When I saw enough space ahead of me, I decided to go all-in. Straight away I felt I was the fastest”, Kooij explains.
His victory lifts Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s season tally to 34 wins. Tomorrow, the team faces a similar stage in England, where all eyes will once again be on the fastest men in the peloton.