"Dreamed of it"
Dutchman Kooij wins ninth stage of the Giro
Former speed skater Olav Kooij won the ninth stage of the Giro d'Italia from Avezzano over 214 km to Naples in a thrilling sprint on Sunday. The Dutchman (Visma) won after 4:44:22 hours ahead of Jonathan Milan (ITA/Lidl) and the Colombian Juan Sebastian Molano from the UAE team. The latter also had help from overall leader Tadej Pogacar in the finish, a kind of thanks for one of his helpers on the way to the hoped-for Giro victory.
"It was a tough finale, but the team supported me very well. We knew we had to improvise and see how the race went. I've been waiting for this, I've been dreaming of this victory," said Kooij, for whom it was his 32nd professional victory, but his first in a Grand Tour. Monday is the first rest day in the first of the three three-week national tours.
Top favorite Pogacar can particularly enjoy this, as he continues to dominate the Giro d'Italia at will. Pogacar wanted to help teammate Molano to the stage win in the finish. "Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out. But if I can help, then it's better for me to be in front," said the Slovenian, who leads very comfortably with a lead of 2:40 minutes. "I'm looking forward to relaxing a bit and hopefully not thinking about the race for a day," said Pogacar on Sunday.
Pogacar a pain in the neck
His superiority is so great that even before stage 9, Pogacar felt compelled to defend himself for his successes. "I'm 100 percent sure that I'm really getting on some guys' nerves," said the 25-year-old. "But I'm driving for the team that pays me and my team-mates, who work their butts off for me here. We want to show how strong we are here."
Pogacar's UAE team with Austrian Felix Großschartner is said to have received a high entry fee. In addition, the course has been significantly simplified compared to previous years and the elevation gain has been reduced by around 20 percent. This will help Pogacar to come out of the Giro fresher in order to achieve his huge goal, the double Giro/Tour de France.
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