The last time Olav Kooij and his final lead-out rider Wout van Aert contested a sprint in this Giro d’Italia, they looked like they were missing one of the key components of sprinting: trust.
On a chaotic day in Naples on stage 6, a tetchy Van Aert went way too early in the finish, and Kooij, not trusting the Belgian’s instinct, held back. He would end up swamped in the finish, taking 10th and missing another win after a close second on stage 4.
Fast forward to stage 12, however, and after a long week of waiting to sprint again, Kooij, Van Aert and the whole Visma-Lease a Bike team were a well-oiled machine.
The riders in yellow took it up early, and a big final turn from Edoardo Affini positioned Van Aert into position 1 for the crucial final corner. After that, Kooij just had to finish it off, and his unwavering speed delivered him to victory.
“You know the saying, ‘you win or you learn’,” Van Aert recounted after the stage, reflecting on the mistakes the team had fixed since that last sprint.
“And on the last few occasions, we didn’t win but of course, we learned from it and today we stayed more calm and that’s how Edo, Olav and me could use each other.”
“It just didn’t work out in the last chances,” Visma DS Marc Reef said. “The first time Wout was not there, the second time Edo was not there. Today the goal really was that those three were there and stayed together and to do what they did.
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Technically, it wasn’t the perfect lead-out – few are – as there were some moments where the Visma riders lost each other, but the difference was that on Thursday, there was no panic or hesitation, and they came back together to make it count when it mattered.
“They lost each other a bit and Wout and Olav were behind but at the right moment they found each other,” Reef said. “Then Edo did a really good pull, then from one kilometre to go, Wout took the lead and still did the lead out. That was impressive as was the sprint by Olav.”
“We took our responsibility, we went for it,” was Van Aert’s assessment. “If Edo takes the front, we always know it’s going to be lined out and then it was up to me and Olav to finish it. We didn’t want to take any risks to be not in the first place [in the final corner]. With Edo and myself, we’re the best when we can hit the front and that’s what we did”
But what has clicked between Naples and Viadana? Of course, Visma have had time to reflect and think about what they need to do better, but the change can also be put down to Van Aert’s big, relieving win on Sunday.
The rider that started stage 12 was no longer nervous or desperate for a win after some close defeats; he was a rider who trusted himself and his abilities, starting the day talking about how keen he was to contribute to the win, and that boosted the whole team.
“I think we were all eager,” Olav Kooij said. “We knew we made some mistakes here and the first two sprints, so we all really wanted to win, because we also knew that we have the qualities to do it. So we were still hungry for another win and I think the morale was really good, also in the first week, and we came close the first few times, and then with the win of Wout ending the first week, that maybe gave an extra boost.
“We had already the confidence, but it was definitely an extra boost to win [on Sunday] and to get a second one now is really nice, so hopefully we’re not done yet.”
Van Aert expressed a similar sentiment: “I think last Sunday was a relief for everyone, and now I feel hungry for more.”
Though all teams will go through ebbs and flows of confidence and dynamics, the strength of Van Aert is such that when it works, it really works, and Kooij reflected on the power of their partnership.
“We’ve raced a few times before with Wout doing the lead-out, so there is that feeling you get, but also with Wout, it’s a bit different because he can do more than most other bike riders,” Kooij explained. “We saw today how long he can hold the front, so maybe that’s the thing that is different from other lead-outs. And for the rest, it builds with doing sprints and off the bike too.”
Still more to come
Visma had to wait nine days to take a first stage win in this Giro, after a few near-misses, and a long drag between sprints to go for Kooij again, but with wins for two of their leaders now in the bag, the Dutch squad will be hoping that the floodgates may open.
The next chance could come as early as Friday, with the uphill finish in Vicenza possibly suiting Van Aert’s capabilities, especially if his self-belief is on an upward trajectory.
“It might be a good opportunity,” Reef said about stage 13. “[Van Aert’s] confidence is growing, Sunday helped him a lot. He was still searching for his best feeling in the days afterwards. He’s still not the old Wout we know, but he’s getting better and Vicenza could be a good chance for him.”
It’s not just about Van Aert, either. Kooij could win again, and next week, it will be all about Simon Yates in the climbs.
“Simon is in a very good spot at this moment but we also try to go for another stage with Wout. There are also other chances for Olav this week. That’s where we’ll fight,” Reef concluded.
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