When the world’s top cycling race, Tour de France, starts in Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy on Saturday, a total of seven Danes will be involved.
And for the first time in ages, the vast majority of them won’t be on one Danish-centric team. In fact, the Danes are all on separate teams.
Young rider Michael Valgren became the last Dane to make the race as Team Tinkoff yesterday revealed the team that is tasked with helping Alberto Contador to another title.
The other six Danish riders involved this year are Chris Anker Sørensen (Fortuneo-Vital), Matti Breschel (Cannondale), Michael Mørkøv (Katusha), Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Lars Bak (Lotto Soudal) and Christopher Juul-Jensen (Orica-Greenedge).
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Bak is back
All seven riders have a history of racing for one of Bjarne Riis’ past teams – either at CSC or later Team Saxo Bank or Team Tinkoff-Saxo.
The biggest surprise inclusion would be the veteran and time-trial specialist Bak, who has somehow managed to recover from the broken shoulder he sustained just weeks ago during the Giro d’Italia.
The rider with the biggest chance of getting near the podium would be Fuglsang, who will be one of the key riders for a star-studded Astana team that includes Fabio Aru and Vincenzo Nibali.
