Team Visma | Lease a Bike chasing stage success with Kooij in Renewi Tour
# Team Visma | Lease a Bike Eyes Victory with Kooij in Renewi Tour
“Olav is doing well,” begins Reef, as he discusses the team’s preparations for the upcoming Renewi Tour. “After the Tour of Poland, he fell ill, which meant he couldn’t start in the Cyclassics Hamburg. Fortunately, he was able to put in some good training sessions last weekend and is fit enough to start.”
Olav Kooij will serve as one of the team’s key contenders in this five-day WorldTour race. With a clear ambition in mind, Reef states, “We aim for stage wins with Olav. The competition in the sprints is strong, but we’ve built a solid team around him. There are several stages where we hope to make use of these strengths.”
Starting in Terneuzen, located in the Dutch province of Zeeland, the Renewi Tour includes three stages expected to culminate in bunch sprints. Notably, the course will feature the traditional queen stage leading to Geraardsbergen, as well as a challenging final stage in and around Leuven.
“With Christophe (Laporte), we have someone who normally performs well on that kind of terrain,” Reef continues. “Of course, it’s a bit of a wait-and-see how he feels, since this is only his second race of the season. But we know Christophe can reach his level quickly. We’re not putting any pressure on him. It would be great if he can play a meaningful role, but if not, that’s understandable.”
“Christophe is a fantastic rider to have in the line-up,” adds Reef, emphasizing the importance of Laporte’s return. “For Christophe, it’s a huge relief to be back in the peloton, and for us, it’s also very positive. Christophe is a fantastic rider to have in the line-up, with an incredible range of qualities.”
Along with Kooij and Laporte, Team Visma | Lease a Bike has selected a strong roster consisting of Edoardo Affini, Attila Valter, Julien Vermote, Dan McLay, and Menno Huising for this challenging event.
As the team gears up for the Renewi Tour, the anticipation for success is palpable, making it an exciting chapter in the cycling season for Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
