2023 Danmark Rundt - Tour of Denmark - 15/8-19/8 (2.Pro)

[Velolover2]

looks very tough indeed

Ibækvej from Ibæk - Profile of the ascent

Ibækvej from Ibæk is a climb in the region Vejle Fjord. It is 1.8km long and bridges 93 vertical meters with an average gradient of 5.2%, resulting in a diffi

climbfinder.com

Don't think they'll drop Wærenskjold with 50k to go, but should be hard enough to weaken him a bit before the finish.

I remember the peloton getting broken into small groups on the Østengaard hill in the edition that Evenepoel won. That was about 50 km to go. However, Østengaard is shorter but definitely steeper.

It's up to Trek to make the race as hard as possible. The time trial is too flat for them to feel save.

 

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Has Mads Pedersen said anything about his ambitions for GC? He is scheduled to do Hamburg as well on Sunday, and while it's possible to combine both, it's probably far from perfect preparation. The trip is longer than last year, and the winner will likely have additional tv obligations etc. as well.

 

[Velolover2]

At a Gran Fondo I participated through 2014-16 Ibækvej/Golfbakken was taken as a nice twisty downhill. On beforehand the weekend before I climbed it several times (using more famous Munkebjergvej downhill) - and to me for a pro peleton, even not a 92kg guy will have serious issues by a single passage - or i.e. maybe he'll be bridged by some 100 - max 200 meters, but surroundings right after are mostly flat, and his force comes him good here, plenty of possibilities catching up.

Regarding the Kiddesvej rounds, it's the toll taken by the short laps and the counterhill up Koldingvej and continous attacs up Kiddesvej that normaly results in HUGE timegaps for this Queen Stage. You're right a single passage of Kiddesvej as just a bump on the road will do no real harm in a pro peleton.

You are right that 200 km of hilly racing will take its toll on the riders. But it's really up to Trek (and Sunweb) to decide how painful the local laps are going to be. I feel like the new longer route with a lot of flats takes a bit of the intensity out of the stage. But I guess it's important to avoid the leaders catching the gruppetto.


When the Vejle stage is raced like a puncheur finish: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-denmark/2022/gc

vs.

When Vejle stage is race like a classics: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-denmark/2021/stage-3

Look at the time gaps here. The stage should be hard enough for classics-styled racing.

 

[tobydawq]

You are right that 200 km of hilly racing will take its toll on the riders. But it's really up to Trek (and Sunweb) to decide how painful the local laps are going to be. I feel like the new longer route with a lot of flats takes a bit of the intensity out of the stage. But I guess it's important to avoid the leaders catching the gruppetto.


When the Vejle stage is raced like a puncheur finish: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-denmark/2022/gc

vs.

When Vejle stage is race like a classics: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-denmark/2021/stage-3

Look at the time gaps here. The stage should be hard enough for classics-styled racing.

Sunweb?

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

You are right that 200 km of hilly racing will take its toll on the riders. But it's really up to Trek (and Sunweb) to decide how painful the local laps are going to be. I feel like the new longer route with a lot of flats takes a bit of the intensity out of the stage. But I guess it's important to avoid the leaders catching the gruppetto.

My point was solely on the final rounds. They'll deliver gaps when raced hard, even if it's a 200k pancake flat run-up to this (however, the new classics ToD Vejle Queen Stage never tends to have a pancake flat runup to final Vejle rounds )

When the Vejle stage is raced like a puncheur finish: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-denmark/2022/gc

vs.

When Vejle stage is race like a classics: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-denmark/2021/stage-3

Look at the time gaps here. The stage should be hard enough for classics-styled racing.

That was exactly my point, the '21 edition, when Evenepoel is ready for happy-show, it becomes quite clear that even in Denmark small humps can make a huge difference placed at closing rounds.
The not so extreme year, however, when Lars Boom was a shared GC favourite with Matti Breschel I remember clearly too - the puncheurs opening up and he was done for good. 2:30 gap on final 3 rounds, or rather on 2 rounds, i.e. some 13k. On a shared GC favourite.

That's why it grieves me quite that Copenhagen seems to have done an overhaul in terms of serious bid to UCI getting a WT one day classic race to Denmark.
This should first of all have been in Vejle - and at a time when the calendar was totally cleared, every big gun classic guy juming on.

 

[Velolover2]

Sunweb?

I guess I'm stuck in the past. The shampoo team then.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I guess I'm stuck in the past. The shampoo team then.

So not only did you get the team name wrong, you weren't even thinking of the right team to begin with.

 

[Velolover2]

So not only did you get the team name wrong, you weren't even thinking of the right team to begin with.

And to make it even worse, Sunweb is called DSM these days.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

What the heck is this?
They could just have continued on the road they were already on and turned right later. It doesn't make sense, unless they were very keen on not passing my sister's house.

 

[Velolover2]

This stage is having an identity crisis.

 

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what happened? "Unfortunately" Eurosport doesn't have 5 hours of coverage for this per day

 

[Samu Cuenca]

what happened? "Unfortunately" Eurosport doesn't have 5 hours of coverage for this per day

They've included a short gravel road, which had originally been approved by the UCI, but the race commissaires were apparently not a fan of it, so it's been neutralised. However now they take forever to let the race get going again.

 

[Velolover2]

Netserk was right. This is truly a Mickey Mouse race.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

I thought full monty amateurism for this race edition was over.
Sadfully my presumptions were wrong.

What the heck has happened with the organizers?
Both organization and TV coverage have been up to almost ASO standards for some years, not so long ago.
Now the race is even not worthy a crowd watching show for Danish D-class.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I thought full monty amateurism for this race edition was over.
Sadfully my presumptions were wrong.

What the heck has happened with the organizers?
Both organization and TV coverage have been up to almost ASO standards for some years, not so long ago.
Now the race is even not worthy a crowd watching show for Danish D-class.

Jesper Worre will probably claim it's because he's no longer race director.

 

[Netserk]

Netserk was right. This is truly a Mickey Mouse race.

Don't tell Toby.

 

[Velolover2]

Gap going up. Almost 5 minutes.

 

[Danskebjerge]

This is so unpredictable. I would expect Skjelmose Mads Pedersen to dominate the final if they were in top shape but I doubt they are. I think Wærenskjold might be able to hang on to those two. I wouldn’t count Jakobsen totally out either, but since he lost a little ground on Skovbakkevej (17%), I think Kiddesvej (19%) is too steep (and too close to the finish line).

It would be great to see Cort doing well here. His shape could be improving slightly (a decent sprint yesterday).

Hope the peloton will split on the first part of Ibækvej.

 

[Velolover2]

Should have placed the 3 bonus sprints on all the 3 times up Ibækvej for guaranteed action.

 

[RedheadDane]

They've included a short gravel road, which had originally been approved by the UCI, but the race commissaires were apparently not a fan of it, so it's been neutralised. However now they take forever to let the race get going again.

It was me. I wanted to be sure I'd catch as much as possible of the race.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It was me. I wanted to be sure I'd catch as much as possible of the race.

Someone should take away your citizenship.

 

[RedheadDane]

Someone should take away your citizenship.

Au contraire.
Wanting to watch as much as possible of your country's national race means you should have extra citizenship!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Au contraire.
Wanting to watch as much as possible of your country's national race means you should have extra citizenship!

How does extra citizenship work? Do you suddenly become Norwegian, too?

 

[RedheadDane]

How does extra citizenship work? Do you suddenly become Norwegian, too?

No, I just become more Danish.

 

[Velolover2]

No, I just become more Danish.

You are not fooling us, GingerNorwegian. Or are you the StrawberryBlondeSwede?