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

[postmanhat]

He's not doing altitude either, he's probably one of the few guys in the WT peloton not doing that? This works for him and riding Tour de France apparently just tunes his motor even more. I feel like he's the kind of rider that really would benefit from having all the classics in March and April be moved to after TdF because he always lacks that sting in the spring when the other guys are really fresh and haven't done GTs.

Cheers for that, as I've always found him quite a confusing rider. Superb in stage races in the second half of the year, but obviously a classics rider, who doesn't perform in them that often. Except during the Covid years, when everything was moved.

 

[Valv.Piti]

He's actually performing quite well and is really consistent, he just lacks the turbo that Wout, Pog and Mathieu have in these kind of races and therefore doesn't win. Outside of them, he's probably the best I think generally speaking.

 

[Velolover2]

Fairly decent race. One downside was Wærenskjold's puncture.

But wonder if a 16 km time trial is too long for this race? The gaps were kinda big.

Luckily, it was placed as the last stage. Having the TT as one of the first stages would have killed the action in Vejle.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Cheers for that, as I've always found him quite a confusing rider. Superb in stage races in the second half of the year, but obviously a classics rider, who doesn't perform in them that often. Except during the Covid years, when everything was moved.

I think he's performed quite well this year, he's just not quite on the same level as the biggest guns around.

 

[RedheadDane]

My bold prediction is that at least one stage will be won by someone with the name 'Pedersen'.

Like I said!

+ GC
+Point
+KoM...H

 

[nightowl]

Like I said!

+ GC
+Point
+KoM...H

You almost cursed the Pedersens but Mads pulled through right at the end!

 

[Ricco']

In another age, without the 'mutants' Pogi, WVA and MVP, I believe Pedersen would have done a season that surpassed Boonen's 2005.

 

[Bolder]

In another age, without the 'mutants' Pogi, WVA and MVP, I believe Pedersen would have done a season that surpassed Boonen's 2005.

That's a pretty big "if not for..." statement.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

The organizers would have a nervous breakdown if they had to keep track of that sort of things, too.

Just watched the stage (ok 'glancing' mostly at FF play).

So OK, the organizers and TV producers really didn't dare to make the attempt.
Apparently in the certainty of another round of chaos in that case...

In return a reasonable stable pathetic level for all stages, with the thought that it shouldn't be too wildly professional.

They'd better hope Preudhomme is busy doing other things at time being, if hoping for another DK Grand Depart round.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Pedersen’s TT is now rated as the world’s 7th fastest this year. I haven’t checked if the six other TT’s were on a circuit or not. Certainly, Pedersen had no wind advantage, and it wasn’t a very hot (=fast conditions) race. In addition, it took place at the end of a stage race.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Pedersen’s TT is now rated as the world’s 7th fastest this year. I haven’t checked if the six other TT’s were on a circuit or not. Certainly, Pedersen had no wind advantage, and it wasn’t a very hot (=fast conditions) race. In addition, it took place at the end of a stage race.

Okay, so all the six other time trials were on stage 1 or prologues. In other words Pedersen rode the fastest non-prologue TT of the 2023 season so far.

 

[DNP-Old]

Okay, so all the six other time trials were on stage 1 or prologues. In other words Pedersen rode the fastest non-prologue TT of the 2023 season so far.

Someone build him a statue.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

But wonder if a 16 km time trial is too long for this race? The gaps were kinda big.

The gaps were kind of big because the field lacks depth. The gaps in the Vejle stage were even bigger as a result. So no, the TT length is fine, especially if you factor in bonus seconds.

 

[Velolover2]

The gaps were kind of big because the field lacks depth. The gaps in the Vejle stage were even bigger as a result. So no, the TT length is fine, especially if you factor in bonus seconds.

As long as it's placed as the last stage, It could be 20 km for all I care.

But if you have it as the 2nd stage, the race is pretty much locked with the best time trialist's team controlling the remaining 3 stages. Especially because the strongest time trialist in ToD is often a great puncheur/hilly rider too.

That said, the course was great this year with hills in the local laps in all the non-TT stages except one.

Pure hill/classics specialists would benefit from two stages with an elevation above 2000 vertical metres. And climbs a bit closer to the finish line in the final circuit.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The gaps were kind of big because the field lacks depth. The gaps in the Vejle stage were even bigger as a result. So no, the TT length is fine, especially if you factor in bonus seconds.

The gaps were not that big behind Mads Pedersen, and Skjelmose would probably have finished in-between Cort and Wærenskjold on a better day.

Okay, so all the six other time trials were on stage 1 or prologues. In other words Pedersen rode the fastest non-prologue TT of the 2023 season so far.

The non-prologue stages were all in WT races, which was probably a bigger factor than them being on day 1.

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't think this was mentioned at the time. Turns out, Jakobsen had forgotten something rather important on stage 4:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Now, there's a conversation I would have loved to have heard:
"Fabio... where's your shoe?"

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I don't think this was mentioned at the time. Turns out, Jakobsen had forgotten something rather important on stage 4:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Now, there's a conversation I would have loved to have heard:
"Fabio... where's your shoe?"

That win was always a shoe-in.