Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) wins stage 9 in final chaotic sprint (Image credit: Getty Images)
Ewen Costiou (Arkea-B&B Hotels) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal QuickStep) working hard to stay away from the chasing peloton in the final 12km(Image credit: Getty Images)
Late race attack included Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal QuickStep), Mirco Maestri (Polti Kometa), Kevin Vermaerke (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Andrea Pietrobon (Polti Kometa)(Image credit: Getty Images)
Geraint Thomas chased back into the field on the wheel on his Ineos Grenadiers teammates after a crash(Image credit: Getty Images)
No takers for the pizzas(Image credit: Getty Images)
The pack rides in Mofete (Image credit: Getty Images)
Race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) safely in the bunch(Image credit: Getty Images)
Fans wave to riders near Cassino(Image credit: Getty Images)
Jimmy Janssens and his Alpecin Deceuninck team did a lot of pacemaking at the front of the peloton(Image credit: Getty Images)
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) in the purple points jersey (Image credit: Getty Images)
Polti Kometa duo of Mirco Maestri and Andrea Pietrobon worked hard in the doomed breakaway(Image credit: Getty Images)
Peloton raced from Avezzano to Naples in the 214km stage 9(Image credit: Getty Images)
Jerseys at the start of stage 9 in Avezzano: Dani Martinez (Bora hansgrohe). Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL)(Image credit: Getty Images)
Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) broke the heart of Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers) in the finale 150 metres of stage 9 at the Giro d’Italia, producing a stunning sprint to both catch the Ecuadorian who attacked 7km from the line and outlast Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) for the win in Naples.
Narváez made his move on the final hill of the day, forcing the peloton into a frantic chase back down to the city which was led by Lidl-Trek and UAE Team Emirates. There were shades of the 2012 Tour de France where Bradley Wiggins led out Mark Cavendish as race leader Tadej Pogačar got on the front in the final kilometre to try and bring back Narváez for his fast man Juan Sebastian Molano.
Milan launched from the final leadout of Simone Consonni but the yellow and black jersey of Kooij was close behind and pipped him at the line. Molano was third at the line after the work of Pogačar.
This is the biggest win of Kooij’s career on Grand Tour debut at the Giro after he struggled with knee pain after crashing during the Giro’s opening weekend, bringing Visma-Lease a Bike men their first win since Dwars door Vlaanderen in March.
