2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, Stage 2: Kooij doubles up with dominant sprint in Stowmarket
Olav Kooij made it two wins from two in the 2025 Tour of Britain Men, powering clear in a rain-soaked Stowmarket sprint to take his sixth career stage victory, extend his overall lead to 14 seconds
Olav Kooij is fast making the Tour of Britain his personal playground. The 22-year-old Dutch sprinter claimed his second win in as many days on stage 2 in Stowmarket, extending his overall lead and moving into the history books as one of the race’s most prolific winners.
Featured image: Bruce Rollinson/SWpix.com
Report
The 169.3-kilometre loop through the Suffolk countryside offered little elevation – just 873 metres – but plenty of grit. A breakaway of four went clear almost from the drop of the flag: Andreas Stokbro and Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto) and Rafael Reis (Anicolor / Tien 21). They built a cushion of just under three minutes as the peloton settled into the rhythm of a damp, windswept day.
Stokbro mopped up maximum points at the Stradbroke intermediate sprint and the Semer Hill climb, moving into the King of the Mountains lead. But as the rain eased, the escape’s cohesion began to fray. Reis was dropped, leaving the remaining trio dangling ever closer as Visma | Lease a Bike tightened their grip behind.
Stage 2: Stowmarket to Stowmarket – Rafael Reis (Anicolor / Tien 21). Image: Bruce Rollinson/SWpix.com
Even Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–QuickStep), twice an Olympic champion, briefly drove the chase in the closing 10 kilometres, perhaps sharpening form ahead of the World Championships in Rwanda. Yet the break refused to yield until just three kilometres remained, their resistance earning De Vries the day’s combativity award.
The finale, however, was a bruising reminder of sprinting’s fine margins. Stage 1 runner-up Tord Gudmestad (Decathlon AG2R) punctured inside the final three kilometres, while a late crash saw Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) among those hitting the deck.
Out front, Bahrain Victorious tried to marshal the sprint, but it was British national champion Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) who launched first. He was overhauled by Tom Crabbe (Flanders-Baloise), but neither could contain Kooij. Once the Dutchman opened his sprint, the outcome was inevitable – he powered clear to win by daylight.
It was Kooij’s sixth career stage win at the Tour of Britain, placing him fourth on the all-time list, and consolidating both the yellow leader’s jersey and the points classification. He now leads Crabbe by 14 seconds overall, with Watson third at the same time. Crabbe also pulled on the white jersey as leader of the youth standings.
Stage 2: Stowmarket to Stowmarket – Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) wins stage 2. Image: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
“It was a bit harder than yesterday – we had to use a lot of power to make the sprint in the first place,” Kooij reflected. “I didn’t look back but it felt like it wasn’t as close, so I’m happy with that. Compared to yesterday we used a few more to catch the break, so I was a bit more on my own, but when I found space I went – and I felt like I was the fastest.”
The race resumes on Thursday with a shorter, punchier test: a 122.8-kilometre stage from Milton Keynes to Ampthill, the event’s first visit to the area since 2008.
Olav Kooij is fast making the Tour of Britain his personal playground. The 22-year-old Dutch sprinter claimed his second win in as many days on stage 2 in Stowmarket, extending his overall lead and moving into the history books as one of the race’s most prolific winners.
Featured image: Bruce Rollinson/SWpix.com
Report
The 169.3-kilometre loop through the Suffolk countryside offered little elevation – just 873 metres – but plenty of grit. A breakaway of four went clear almost from the drop of the flag: Andreas Stokbro and Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto) and Rafael Reis (Anicolor / Tien 21). They built a cushion of just under three minutes as the peloton settled into the rhythm of a damp, windswept day.
Stokbro mopped up maximum points at the Stradbroke intermediate sprint and the Semer Hill climb, moving into the King of the Mountains lead. But as the rain eased, the escape’s cohesion began to fray. Reis was dropped, leaving the remaining trio dangling ever closer as Visma | Lease a Bike tightened their grip behind.
Even Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–QuickStep), twice an Olympic champion, briefly drove the chase in the closing 10 kilometres, perhaps sharpening form ahead of the World Championships in Rwanda. Yet the break refused to yield until just three kilometres remained, their resistance earning De Vries the day’s combativity award.
The finale, however, was a bruising reminder of sprinting’s fine margins. Stage 1 runner-up Tord Gudmestad (Decathlon AG2R) punctured inside the final three kilometres, while a late crash saw Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) among those hitting the deck.
Out front, Bahrain Victorious tried to marshal the sprint, but it was British national champion Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) who launched first. He was overhauled by Tom Crabbe (Flanders-Baloise), but neither could contain Kooij. Once the Dutchman opened his sprint, the outcome was inevitable – he powered clear to win by daylight.
It was Kooij’s sixth career stage win at the Tour of Britain, placing him fourth on the all-time list, and consolidating both the yellow leader’s jersey and the points classification. He now leads Crabbe by 14 seconds overall, with Watson third at the same time. Crabbe also pulled on the white jersey as leader of the youth standings.
“It was a bit harder than yesterday – we had to use a lot of power to make the sprint in the first place,” Kooij reflected. “I didn’t look back but it felt like it wasn’t as close, so I’m happy with that. Compared to yesterday we used a few more to catch the break, so I was a bit more on my own, but when I found space I went – and I felt like I was the fastest.”
The race resumes on Thursday with a shorter, punchier test: a 122.8-kilometre stage from Milton Keynes to Ampthill, the event’s first visit to the area since 2008.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.