Bright blue areas on busy intersections in Copenhagen mark the route for cyclists. This is their domain. Cycle paths are a fist’s thickness higher than the road surface of the motorist. That’s safer. A lot is also reminiscent of the streets of Dutch cities: bunches of bicycles against the facades of houses and shops, or carelessly parked in racks at the edge of pedestrian areas. Men’s bike, women’s bike, rental bike, cargo bike, krakfiets.
It is this sight that tempted Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme to direct the world’s largest cycling circus to the Sound for the start of the 109th edition. Here the bicycle is on a pedestal. A bonus: Danes do well in cycling.
The pair, who started trying to bring the match to Denmark ten years ago, initially had the middle of Jutland in mind. Former rider and team boss Alex Pedersen and co-organizer Joachim Andersen both come from Herning. 1996 Tour winner Bjarne Riis was born there. In 2012, the Giro d’Italia started there.
Prudhomme chose Copenhagen. The city has been awarded the title of the best cycling city in the world several times. There are more than 350 kilometers of secluded paths, pleasant for the commuter who has to go to the center from the suburbs. There are also differences with the Netherlands. A traffic light on red means actually waiting here. A helmet is more common. Many people without head protection wear a kind of scarf around their neck: an airbag is hidden in it.
Danes also like to show their sporty side in the saddle. Head of communication Ulrich Gorm Albrechtsen of the Danish Cycling Union estimates that of the 6 million inhabitants, about 600,000 regularly put on a tight outfit for a round on the racing bike or mountain bike. Just like in the Netherlands, the 35 plus share is by far the largest. The number of women is growing rapidly. “About six years ago, 95 percent of our clubs were male. Now it’s only 60 percent.’
Danish cyclists are in demand
These days, the focus on everyday and recreational journeys has shifted to the race for cycling glory. The Danes are already enjoying the foreplay. It helps that in the wake of the Tour, French summer heat has moved to the Nyhavn and environs. Never before, assure circuit veterans, have they seen a presentation of the teams that drew more people. Set against the backdrop of whirligigs, roller coasters, a Chinese pavilion and replicas of the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower, the riders make their appearance on the podium in the heart of Tivoli amusement park.
The ten Danish participants are enthusiastically applauded. Jonas Vingegaard (25) of the Dutch Jumbo-Visma, second in the Tour last year, cannot find words for a while, tears well up from the corners of his eyes. He is considered a shadow favorite, next to leader Primoz Roglic. That’s what happens when you got rid of the jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar on the Mont Ventoux last year.
They are in demand in the pro peloton. The Belgian team Quick-Step-Alpha Vinyl even takes three to France: former winner of the Tour of Flanders Kasper Asgreen, veteran Michael Mørkøv – who will mainly ride for the Dutch top sprinter Fabio Jakobsen – and debutant in the Tour Mikkel Honore.
According to the experienced cycling reporter Brian Askvig (58), until recently employed by the newspaper Extra Bladet, with 25 riders the number of Danes in the World Tour – the eredivisie in cycling – has never been greater. His statement: “They are very disciplined. They train hard, they eat well, they keep to the agreements.’ He attributes it to talent development in small teams. “Dedicated coaches have taught young riders the requirements for the trade.” Albrechtsen of the cycling union points out another quality: their language skills quickly lead to integration in foreign teams.
doping history
According to both, the dark past of Danish cycling in the 1990s and the following decade is increasingly fading into the background. That past was mainly colored by the later doping confessions of Riis and Michael Rasmussen, who were then employed by Rabobank. Riis, who lives in Switzerland, toured theaters last spring with riders such as the Luxembourg brothers Andy and Frank Schleck and the Swiss Fabian Cancellara with stories about their successes. Albrechtsen: ‘It was always full. After their confessions, Riis and Rasmussen have been through a lot. But the thought is now: they were good riders after all. And almost everyone in that period used doping.’
It was reporter Askvig who attended Rasmussen Extra Bladet as a columnist and analyst. The former rider has been in the press room during the Tour since 2015. “It was a bit controversial, yes. But Michael knows cycling inside and out. He is also not a hypocrite. He never apologized or said it was the worst decision of his life. No, he declares that he did what it took to perform at the highest level.’
Rasmussen also attracts the public with stories from the past. When asked about the tainted performance of his predecessors, Quick-Step’s Kasper Asgreen remained neutral this week. “I’m glad I live in a world where I’ve never had to make that decision.”
Tour director Prudhomme is less forgiving. There is no place in the opening program in Denmark for Bjarne Riis, the only Danish Tour winner. You don’t have to meet bicycle-loving Copenhagen in everything.