Has it been a while since Denmark produced a new world-class sporting star to rival the likes of Kevin Magnussen, Caroline Wozniacki and Christian Eriksen – both in terms of achievement and column inches?
Still only 19
Step forward Mikkel Bjerg, a new star of cycling, who at the age of 19 is already a two-time under-23s UCI World Championships time trial champion.
And now he is threatening to unseat the legendary Bradley Wiggins as the fastest man over one hour.
Already, he has notched up the second furthest distance in history. His attempt of 53.73 km was within 800 metres of Wiggins’s 54.52 km record.
Wiggins, who is now retired, will know full well that cyclists don’t tend to peak until their mid-20s. After all, the Brit was 32 when he won the Tour de France.
Waiting in the wings
Meanwhile, Michael Valgren, already 26, has taken the slow route to fame and success, but this past year has been a good one, with wins in both the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Amstel Gold Race.
The cyclist has accordingly made the shortlist for the prestigious Vélo d’Or award given out to the best rider of the season by French publication ‘Vélo Magazine’, but with all three (British) Grand Tour winners nominated, he will be hard-pushed to make the podium.
And Søren Kragh Andersen, 24, might join him next year if he can continue to notch up triumphs like the one he managed in the new-look Paris-Tours, in which he soloed his way to victory with 11 km left to ride.
