Olav Kooij wins Tour de France fifth stage in chaotic sprint finish

The 24-year-old rider beat German Max Kanter, who placed second, and Belgian Tim Merlier, who finished third. The stage, a 158 km race between Lannemezan and Pau in southwestern France, saw a significant crash five kilometers from the finish line, impacting several teams and riders. Race leader Torstein Traeen of Norway, despite being involved in the crash, maintained his yellow jersey.

Kooij expressed his excitement, stating it was "unbelievable" to win his first sprint opportunity in the Tour. The crash disrupted lead-out efforts for sprinters, leading to a disorganized run to the finish. Kooij emerged from the disarray with a strong surge to achieve his pre-Tour goal of winning a sprint stage.

Traeen managed to finish 14 seconds behind the winner, alongside other general classification contenders, aided by his Visma team. He reported only a minor knee wound from the incident. Earlier in the stage, Frenchman Baptiste Veistroffer undertook a solo breakaway for 144 kilometers before being reeled in by the peloton with 14 km remaining.