Wout van Aert claimed an impressive victory in the opening stage of the PostNord Tour of Denmark. After a hectic 197.2-kilometer stage around Holstebro, the Belgian sprinted to the win and immediately claimed the first leader’s jersey of this year’s race. It marks his third victory of the season.
“It’s always difficult to win, so to do it straight away on my return is really special,” Van Aert said after the finish. “It was a tough finale. The plan was for Christophe to be in the front group, while I would bridge across on the final climb. The gap was a bit bigger than we expected, but fortunately I still managed to make it across.”
The Belgian was also pleased with how he felt in his first race back. “After a comeback, there’s always some uncertainty about your form. I still had something left for the final climb, and although the last five kilometers were really tough, I’m very happy we managed to pull it off.”
With the stage victory, Van Aert also takes the overall lead in the PostNord Tour of Denmark. “I hope to keep the leader’s jersey over the coming days,” he concluded.
The opening stage got off to a fast start, with several attacks in the opening kilometers before a five-man breakaway managed to establish itself. The escapees were given some room, while the peloton kept the situation under control heading into the finale.
With just over 50 kilometers remaining, the wind began to play an increasingly important role. The exposed Danish roads created echelons, splitting the peloton into several groups. The increased pace quickly erased the breakaway’s advantage, and the five leaders were eventually reeled back in.
The finale was also disrupted by a crash involving several Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders. Fortunately, everyone was able to remount and continue the race. On the local circuit, where the riders tackled the short but steep Mølleparken climb three times, the decisive battle for the stage victory unfolded.
Christophe Laporte was part of the front group in the finale, exactly as planned before the stage. On the final climb, Van Aert bridged across to the leaders before unleashing his sprint to secure the victory.
With both the stage win and the leader’s jersey secured, Team Visma | Lease a Bike heads into the second stage with confidence. Thursday’s stage covers 182.9 kilometers and is expected to favor the sprinters. However, the exposed Danish roads and the wind could once again play a decisive role.
Stage 1
1 Wout van Aert Team Visma | Lease a Bike 04:10:49
2 Lukáš Kubiš Unibet Rose Rockets +00:00:00
3 Henrik Pedersen Uno-X Mobility +00:00:00
