Monday May 13, 2024 at 8:30 AM
Olav Kooij won his first stage in a grand tour in the Giro d’Italia on Sunday, achieving a unique performance for someone his age. The barely 22-year-old Kooij became the youngest sprint winner in the Giro d’Italia since sprint legend Mario Cipollini.
The latter won his first of a total of 42 stage victories in the Giro in 1989, when he won the twelfth stage in Mira ahead of José Rodriguez and Jean-Paul van Poppel. Jonathan Milan also won his first bunch sprint in the Giro a year ago at a similar age.
And this achievement is also quite unique for a Dutch person. It had been since 1999 – when Jeroen Blijlevens won two stages – since a compatriot had won a bunch sprint in the Giro. Previously, Jean-Paul van Poppel and Gerben Karstens were also successful in a sprint stage.
In addition, Kooij also became the youngest Dutch stage winner in the Giro ever. In that respect, he is faster than men like Michel Stolker in 1956 and Erik Breukink in 1987.
📊🏆🇳🇱Olav Kooij is the youngest winner of a bunchsprint in the 🇮🇹Giro d’Italia since 🇮🇹Mario Cipollini.
💨Youngest bunchsprint winners since 1989:
22-071: 🇮🇹Cipollini (’89 s12)
22-208: 🇳🇱Kooij (’24 s9)
22-218: 🇮🇹Milan (’23 s2)
22-261: 🇨🇴Gaviria (’17 s3)
22-304: 🇦🇺Ewan (’17 s7)— Cycling Statistics 📊 (@StatsOnCycling) May 12, 2024
📊💨Last 🇳🇱Dutch winners of a bunchsprint in 🇮🇹Giro d’Italia:
2024 s9: 🇳🇱Kooij
1999 s7: 🇳🇱Blijlevens
1999 s3: 🇳🇱Blijlevens
1989 s15a: 🇳🇱van Poppel JP.
1989 s1: 🇳🇱van Poppel JP.
1986 s13: 🇳🇱van Poppel JP.
1986 s2: 🇳🇱van Poppel JP.
1973 s5: 🇳🇱Karstens— Cycling Statistics 📊 (@StatsOnCycling) May 12, 2024
📊🏆🇳🇱Kooij is the youngest 🇳🇱Dutch male winner of 🇮🇹Giro stage.
🚹🏆Youngest winners:
22-208: 🇳🇱Kooij (’24)
22-246:🇳🇱Stolker (’56)
23-083:🇳🇱Lute (‘64)
23-051:🇳🇱Breukink (’87)
23-133:🇳🇱Zilverberg (‘62)
23-225:🇳🇱van Poppel JP. (’86)
24-205:🇳🇱Wagtmans (‘54)
25-177:🇳🇱Dumoulin (’16)— Cycling Statistics 📊 (@StatsOnCycling) May 12, 2024
