Olav Kooij by far the fastest after echelon spectacle at Renewi Tour

Echelons!
Long before the fast men might have shown their skills, a breakaway of four riders formed. One of the escapees was Axandre Van Petegem (Wagner Bazin WB), son of cycling legend Peter Van Petegem. He was joined by compatriot Siebe Deweirdt (Flanders-Baloise) and Italian Giosuè Epis (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). However, the quartet didn't impact the race for long, as the peloton suddenly surged in pace. This was all due to the danger of crosswinds.

A very real threat, it turned out. The peloton split up multiple times into different groups. Each time the groups would come back together, but the high speeds ensured the breakaway riders were caught with more than a hundred kilometers still to go. Some riders attempted to escape again—Deweirdt and Van Petegem tried once more—but the racing was too tense to get away. On the local circuit around Ardooie, the race once again split dramatically, allowing a group of about 40 riders to break off.

Van der Poel and Kooij in second peloton
This first peloton included leader Tim Merlier, Arnaud De Lie, and many riders from Lidl-Trek. On the other hand, Unibet Tietema Rockets and Movistar missed the split and had to chase. Olav Kooij, the Visma | Lease a Bike sprinter, was also not with the front group, while Mathieu van der Poel—the top favorite for the overall victory—was caught out as well. At one point, the gap between the two pelotons stretched to as much as 45 seconds.

The second group then cautiously began to close the gap, but it was only after a crash in the first echelon that the peloton regrouped. Riders involved in that high-speed crash included Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) and Mick van Dijke (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe). Both eventually rejoined the peloton, which was whole again with 35 kilometers remaining. Shortly after, however, the group ripped apart once more. Mathieu van der Poel was now also at the front, racing full gas.

Still a bunch sprint
For a moment, a small group including van der Poel seemed on the verge of breaking clear, but the various groups soon reformed into one. Several more attacks followed, but ultimately we headed for a 'normal' bunch sprint from a large peloton. Tim Merlier, Wednesday’s winner, was well-positioned and started his sprint in good shape. However, the Belgian from Soudal Quick-Step did not have the legs he had the day before and faded.

Olav Kooij did not suffer the same fate. The Dutch rider took the lead with his launch and maintained his effort, convincingly winning the second stage.