First times are never forgotten, and Olav Kooij (24 years old) certainly won't forget this one, as today in Pau he claimed the fifth stage of the Tour de France, securing his first victory of his career at the Grande Boucle following an incredibly tight sprint. For the Dutch sprinter of the Decathlon CMA CGM Team, it is the culmination of a long-held dream: to participate in the Tour and win a stage. And that dream became reality at the first real opportunity reserved for sprinters.

Kooij didn't hide his emotion immediately after crossing the finish line: "After a couple of very tough days, today finally came my first chance to sprint at the Tour. Winning right away is simply incredible".

A victory that represents much more than a simple stage win: for a rider like him it is the most important success of his career. Especially because for the twenty-four-year-old Dutchman this success comes after complicated months: spring hadn't gone as he hoped, and finding success on the biggest stage of world cycling takes on even greater value.

"I think this victory means so much for my career. After a rather difficult spring I managed to return to this level".

Kooij wanted to thank those who never stopped believing in him: "The most important thing is that I kept believing in myself. And then you just need a few people who continue to believe in you. The team never stopped doing that either".

The celebration for Kooij's victory began in the team car with the message transmitted via radio: "Thank you guys, thank you Olav, you were all magnificent". Few words that reached all members of the Decathlon CMA CGM Team.

The success bears the signature of Decathlon, which built an almost perfect sprint: "Being here with all the support of the team is exactly what I wanted and couldn't ask for more. Today they did truly extraordinary work".

Once again the French team demonstrated its strength, adding a new victory to a Tour that started in the best possible way. The final kilometers were anything but simple due to the chaos caused by a crash that also involved important riders like Vingegaard, who crossed the finish line on a teammate's bike. Among crashes and constant position changes, the peloton launched toward the finish line at extremely high speed.

"The day was quite calm until the finale. Then we all knew it would become hectic and that's exactly what happened. It was the first real sprint of this Tour and everyone was very nervous. I managed to find my way practically alone in the final meters".

The choice of the right wheel in the final meters made the difference: "I found what I thought was the best wheel and I just wanted to have the chance to sprint. When I saw the finish line, I gave everything I had".

The success also represents great relief because there was the pressure of arriving at the Tour with the stated objective of winning a stage, but Kooij managed to immediately transform it into an unforgettable day. "We'll certainly enjoy this victory. But there are still many stages in this Tour. We'll continue to work every day trying to always do our best".

The opportunities for sprinters aren't over and Kooij knows it well. "There will be other opportunities, but we need to get there. We think one stage at a time, one step at a time, and now it's time to enjoy this moment".

With this victory, however, the main objective of his Grande Boucle has already been achieved. Olav Kooij dreamed of the Tour de France for a specific reason: to win a stage. Today that dream became reality. And, judging by the way he handled the first sprint of the race, it may not be the last time his name appears in the honor roll of the Grande Boucle.