Olav Kooij emerged victorious in the first stage of the Tour of Britain. The Dutch cyclist outpaced his teammates Wout van Aert and Sam Bennett in a fast-paced race. With this win, Kooij also becomes the first overall leader.
In the early stages of the Tour of Britain, cyclists faced a 161.6-kilometer route. The race started in Altrincham and concluded in Manchester. Along the way, riders had to tackle several climbs, but the expectation was for a group finish with a massive sprint. And that’s precisely what unfolded.
After an initial breakaway, the INEOS Grenadiers took the front of the peloton and did not allow it to succeed. In the final 5 kilometers, Jumbo-Visma took control of the proceedings.
Edoardo Affini positioned the leader Wout van Aert and the sprinter Kooij perfectly. Van Aert then led well, after which Kooij only had to sprint for a short period. The Dutchman raced convincingly to victory, and Van Aert still had enough left in his legs to finish second. Sam Bennett took third place.
Watch the finish:
Results of Stage 1 of the Tour of Britain:
Overall ranking after the 1st stage:
