Strong field for the men’s Copenhagen Sprint: Mads P gets a fight to the line
After four stage wins in the Giro d’Italia, Mads Pedersen is the best bet for a Danish winner of the World Tour race Copenhagen Sprint, when it is run on Sunday 22 June. If it ends with a sprint showdown in the middle of Copenhagen, there are many fast people who can challenge the fast Dane, but there are also plenty of skilled cyclists who will spoil the sprint party on the way from Roskilde to Copenhagen.
Mads Pedersen is among the absolute favorites when the World Tour cycling race Copenhagen Sprint is run on Sunday, but the Lidl-Trek rider can expect a fight to the line from other fast sprinters.
Among the most obvious competitors for the victory are the Dutchmen Olav Kooij, Team Visma/Lease a Bike, and Dylan Groenwegen, Team Jayco AlUla, the German Phil Bauhaus, Bahrain-Victorius, and the Australian Sam Welsford, Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrobe, but you must also not write off Danish Tobias Lund from Team Picnic PostNL and the two experienced sprinters, the Frenchman Arnaud Demare from Arkea-B&B Hotels and the Italian Elia Viviani.
Mads Pedersen was flying in this year’s Giro d’Italia, where he won four stages and a purple points jersey. Since then, he has taken a well-deserved break and now feels ready to race for the victory in the Copenhagen Sprint.
“I’m really looking forward to riding in front of the home crowd in Copenhagen Sprint, and I hope that a lot of cycling fans will come and see the race up close. It’s a World Tour race, so we’ll be up against some tough competitors, but I’m sure it’s going to be an exciting race, and the circuit gives the spectators in Copenhagen the opportunity to see us five times. After a good break since the Giro, I feel strong and motivated, and hopefully we can give the fans a good show,” says Mads Pedersen.
Lots of Danish riders
When the start goes in Roskilde, there will be 168 riders ready to race for the victory. The field consists of 23 teams – including 10 World Tour teams – and the Danish national team, which includes Kasper Asgreen, Casper Pedersen and Michael Valgren.
In addition to Mads Pedersen, Tobias Lund and the national team riders, the Danish cycling public can look forward to seeing Johan Price Pejtersen, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Anders Stokbro and Sebastian Nielsen from Unibet Tietma Rockets, Henrik Pedersen and Rasmus Bøgh Walling from the Norwegian Uno-X Mobility as well as Anders Foldager and Christopher Juul Jensen, who will lead Dylan Groenwegen safely through the roads of North Zealand.
The 235 km from Roskilde over North Zealand and with a circuit in inner Copenhagen on paper sets the stage for a sprint showdown on Sølvgade in front of the National Gallery of Denmark, but nevertheless sports director Jesper Tikiøb sees opportunities for other outcomes – and at least a worthwhile race.
“Of course, the stage is set for a duel among the fast sprinters, but there are also both teams and riders who come to Copenhagen to spoil the sprinters’ party. At the same time, the route in North Sealand offers a mix of wide and narrow roads that can easily create surprises, just as several riders – including types like Kasper Asgreen – have the power to keep a chasing field behind them. I’m certainly looking forward to an interesting race, which probably sets the stage for a sprint decision, but also has the ingredients to develop differently,” says Jesper Tikiøb.
Strong field on the starting line
In addition to the fastest sprinters and the many Danes, the audience can look forward to experiencing cycling stars such as Lidl-Trek riders Matias Vacek and Bauke Mollema, Giacomo Nizzolo and Frederik Frison from Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, Sebastian Changizi from Tudor Pro Cycling Team and not least the Norwegian Søren Wærenskjold, Uno-X Mobility, who has just been selected for the Tour de France.