2024 Paris-Nice Stage One | Highlights

Race Report

Olav Kooij kicked off his campaign at Paris-Nice in style, securing victory in the challenging opening stage and clinching the coveted yellow jersey. The 22-year-old sprinter from Team Visma | Lease a Bike demonstrated his prowess in a tough finale, edging out Mads Pedersen with a determined final effort to claim the stage win and overall lead in the prestigious French stage race.

As the peloton tackled the opening stage of the 82nd edition of the Race to the Sun, teams eyeing the general classification kept a close eye on the breakaway attempts, ensuring that the trio of escapees did not establish a significant advantage. With the hilly finale looming, contenders for the overall victory engaged in a sprint for bonus seconds in Montainville. Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s Matteo Jorgenson emerged victorious, securing the maximum bonus seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel and Egan Bernal.

Following the battle for bonus seconds, the peloton charged towards the finish line in Les Mureaux. With impeccable support from his teammates, Kooij positioned himself smartly behind Pedersen’s wheel. Employing a tactful final surge, the Dutch sprinter surged past the former world champion to clinch his third victory of the season and seize the lead in the overall, points, and youth classifications. Team Visma | Lease a Bike celebrated its tenth triumph of the season with Kooij’s impressive win.

Reflecting on his triumph, Kooij expressed gratitude for the support of his team and the hard-fought nature of the stage. “This win was gratifying,” he remarked. “I was excellently supported by the team today. It was hard on the final hills, but it became clear that we were going to sprint for the win with a depleted group. It was close at the end, but I am happy to win straight away.”

With eyes set on defending the yellow jersey, Kooij looks ahead to the next opportunity for sprinters in the upcoming stage of Paris-Nice, poised to maintain his lead in the prestigious race.

Results

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