This year, the Danes have taken the cycling world by storm and chopped up their most successful year since 1993.
27 years ago, Rolf Sørensen was the star of the show and accounted for eight of the 11 victories in Grand Tour event phases and other UCI World Tour events and stages.
In 2020, Danes took nine victories, where four different riders trampled to win in seven stages (including three in Grand Tour races) and two one-day races.
A crowded field
“We do not have anyone right now who can win the Tour de France, as Bjarne Riis did in 1996, but compared to the happy 90s, we have a much greater breadth among the Danes at the top level who can win big races,” said cycling expert Brian Nygaard to DR.
Magnus Cort, Mads Pedersen, Jakob Fuglsang and Søren Kragh Andersen were the ones who rode Danish success this year, and the reason why Nygaard had reason to describe it as “the strongest Danish cycling field ever”.
A bright future
In this year’s results, Denmark has far exceeded its weight. Only six other countries landed several World Tour victories, with the Danes finishing over other major cycling countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
For Nygaard, it is a sign of good things to come. He highlighted the potential of Pedersen and Kragh Andersen and said: “It is not just coincidence tendency right now. Danish cycling is by one exceptionally high level and it may well continue to bring good results in 2021. ”
Problems with NTT
Elsewhere, former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis has left his position as team leader of the NTT cycling team following a mutual agreement with the team leader, Douglas Ryder.
Riis, Jan Bech Andersen and Lars Seier Christensen have apparently also canceled plans to buy part of the cycling clothing.
“I would like to thank Bjarne for the experience and leadership he has brought and what he has contributed,” said Clears this morning.
“NTT Pro Cycling is still fighting to secure its future, and further updates on whether the team can survive are coming.”
It follows the news that NTT does not intend to continue as the team’s name sponsor in 2021, while the biggest cyclists on the books have been told they can start looking for a new team in the coming year.
Source: The Nordic Page
