Just turned twenty-one and already has 15 victories under his belt. It's Olav Kooij from Numansdorp in South Holland, the same land that gave birth to the family Van der Poel, a Demi Vollering and to many other champions of the Netherlands.
Blonde hair, slender physique, powerful but not exaggerated muscles that make him compact at the same time, Kooij is shaping up to be one of the best sprinters of the new generation. Regardless of the number of victories, his sprints are significant. When he is in sprint he reminds a lot Mark CavendishIt's very squashed, but he looks more elegant.
From Gatteo to Monaco
The talent of Jumbo Visma it definitely exploded this summer, when he dominated the first stages of the Tour of Poland. Olav achieved the first of these 15 victories here in Italy.
It was the first stage of the 2020 Coppi e Bartali and the stage was Gatteo-Gatteo. He beat another kid, no laughing matter, ethan hayterSince then, the successes have followed one after the other, until the latest one, achieved in Munich (in the opening photo) last October.
This time the defeated were even more important: Philipsen, Bennett, Jakobsen, Groenewegen. That day Kooij said openly: “Winning is always nice, but it’s even nicer when you beat the best players in the world.” In short, “chest out and broad shoulders”.
«I love Italy – says Kooij – I came here on holiday as a child. I also really like the cycling culture, the races you have. I hope to do many more races there. And Italian cuisine is the best! Pizza, gelato, pasta...
«It was a great season and I still have the good feelings from this vintage. It was nice. I mean, I made some more good progress and was able to celebrate some nice wins."
Kooij and the climb
«For next season I still have to look at the programs carefully, we will talk about it during this month, but My goal is to continue to grow and win."
And to win, you have to train—that's nothing new, of course—but you have to do it wisely, now more than ever. Kooij is well aware of this, and even though he's a sprinter, he knows he has to focus on more than just sprints.
«It is very important to train uphill for a sprinter – continues Kooij – The World Tour races are tough and you have to be able to survive the climbs. Not only that, but it's important to survive well, because you need to reach the finish line in good shape, fresh for the sprint. We sprinters have to find the right balance between climbing and being explosive. And it's a great challenge!
Kooij speaks calmly and carefully. The Jumbo-Visma veteran is right. Jos van Emdem who had said some time ago: «Olav is very talented and much older than you might think. He doesn't look like a twenty-year-old boy to me, a boy who could be my son."
In the myth of Kittel
We mentioned Kooij's position earlier, which is quite reminiscent of Cavendish's. But he prefers to compare himself to another great sprinter.
«Cavendish, Bennett, Jakobsen when they are at the start you know that Everyone wants to win the race, so I focus on myself. I just try to do my best and hope I can beat them."
And when we tell him about Cavendish he thinks for a while and replies: «When I was young (as if he were old, ed.) I admired Marcel Kittel, it was really strong. He had super power. He won many races and I watched him on TV."
The investiture of Viviani
But returning to the topic of the climb, Kooij knows he won't be able to be exactly like his idol. Kittel would really struggle in this kind of cycling today: too heavy, too much muscle. And he knows it well too Elia Viviani.
The Veronese recently told Gazzetta dello Sport: «I think Jakobsen is the best sprinter currently, he is unbeatable in the last 200 meters. Keep an eye on Olav Kooij for the future, too. He's already shown consistency, and I think he can only get better."
Compared to many sprinters, Kooij is muscular, but not overly heavy. This could greatly help him in the profile of the sprinter of the future.
