Kooij wins opening stage as Tour of Britain gets underway

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Dutchman Olav Kooij has won the opening stage at this year’s Tour of Britain, taking an early competition lead.

The Team Visma star stormed to victory as the competition got underway between the Suffolk towns of Woodbridge and Southwold, on Tuesday September 2.

Frenchman Tord Gudmestad, of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, finished runner-up, while fellow Frenchman Hugo Hofstetter, of Israel – Premier Tech, finished third.

INEOS Grenadiers’ Sam Watson was the first Brit to cross the finish line, coming in sixth place.

Meanwhile, Cardiff’s Geraint Thomas, also of INEOS Grenadiers, recovered from a late puncture to finish with the main field in his final event before retirement.

Speaking after the win, Kooij said: “It’s a really good feeling, of course, it’s always nice to win a race, and I have good memories from here two years ago.

“I was happy to go back to this race, and I’m really happy to continue the success of two years ago.”

He continued: “We knew we wanted to end the last corner in a good position, which the guys did perfectly. We were there first, then I felt a really strong headwind and a little rise, so then waited for the right moment.

“I didn’t have much time to focus on the crowds, but it was really good seeing them at the start and at the finish. It’s always nice to see people out enjoying the race.”

Stage two, on Wednesday September 3, sees the race remaining in Suffolk for a route through the Mid Suffolk and Babergh Districts, starting and finishing in Stowmarket. The 169.3-kilometre stage gets underway at 11am, with live coverage on ITV4 and ITVX.

The competition’s final stage, on Sunday September 7, sees riders race from Newport to Cardiff, crossing through much of Caerphilly County Borough en route.