Danny van Poppel won the Dutch title in Ede on Saturday. The 31-year-old cyclist of Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe was the fastest in the mass sprint. The Tilburger crossed the finish line earlier than Olav Kooij van Visma – Lease A Bike, who finished second for the third year in a row.
“They often say that you are flying when your father becomes. That’s right,” Van Poppel said at the NOS. He participated in the Dutch Championship for the first time in five years.
“I was in the wheel at Olav and tried to stay calm. Not to believe, I never thought this,” he said. The Tilburger will therefore start as a Dutch champion next week in the Tour. This week it was announced that he has been designated for this. Two -time Dutch champion Mathieu van der Poel did not participate in the Dutch Championship in the run -up to the Tour de France.
The beaten Kooij did not blame itself. “My legs were a bit empty, I squeezed everything there. I don’t really think I did something wrong. Danny has done another structure towards the Tour de France. He is now of super good level, with me the tank is slowly empty.”
Last year Kooij had to leave the victory to Dylan Groenewegen and the year before to Dylan van Baarle. Groenewegen this time became third.