Cycling · Aalborg, Glyngore, and Skive
Wout van Aert wins Tour of Denmark opener in return from elbow infection
The Belgian won a reduced sprint in Aalborg on Wednesday after recovering from a bacterial infection that kept him out of the Tour de France.
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In brief
Van Aert had not competed since abandoning the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on 11 June with a bacterial elbow infection.
A mass crash 72 kilometres from the finish brought down around 40 riders in the peloton, including Van Aert, and split the race into several groups.
The stage victory is Van Aert's third this season, adding to Paris-Roubaix and a stage at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Van Aert outsprinted seven other riders after bridging to them on the final climb, led out by teammate Christophe Laporte.
The second stage runs from Glyngore to Skive over a slightly hillier profile than the opening day, with the race finishing on Sunday.
Van Aert's instant impact
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) won stage one of the Tour of Denmark on Wednesday, his first day of racing since mid-June. The Belgian sprinter had been sidelined by a bacterial infection in his right elbow, which forced him to abandon the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on 11 June and miss the Tour de France. The 197.2-kilometre stage started and finished in Aalborg and featured a flat profile except for a final circuit with a 700-metre climb at 6% taken twice.
How the finale unfolded
The early breakaway consisted of five riders: Daniel Stampe, Mads Landbo, Marius Hobolth, Matias Malmberg and Manuel Oioli. The quintet was reeled in with 72 kilometres remaining, just before a mass crash split the peloton and brought down around 40 riders, including Van Aert. Malmberg, Mads Andersen and Sebastian Nielsen then formed a leading trio caught at the ten-kilometre mark. A group of eight attacked with five kilometres to go, featuring Christophe Laporte, Lukáš Kubiš, Henrik Pedersen, Tim Torn Teutenberg, Pier-André Côté, Tomáš Kopecký and others.
The final attack
Van Aert bridged across to the leaders on the last climb, carrying Søren Kragh Andersen on his wheel. Laporte, his French teammate, led him out for the sprint, and Van Aert finished ahead of Lukáš Kubiš and Henrik Pedersen. The victory, his 54th career win at age 31, gave him the first leader's jersey of the 36th edition of the race.
Next stages
The Tour of Denmark continues Thursday with a lightly undulating 182.9-kilometre stage from Glyngore to Skive. The race concludes on Sunday, when a successor to last year's winner Mads Pedersen will be crowned. Arnaud De Lie won in 2024, Remco Evenepoel in 2021, and Van Aert himself in 2018.
Van Aert's season so far
Wednesday's win is Van Aert's third of the season. He previously won Paris-Roubaix and a stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes before his injury. The comeback ride in Denmark marks the resumption of a campaign interrupted for over six weeks.
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Sources and context
- Le SoirTour du Danemark : Wout van Aert remporte la première étape pour son retour à la compétition
- Le Figaro.frCyclisme : pour son retour à la compétition, Wout Van Aert s'offre un premier succès au Tour du Danemark
- NOSVan Aert wint bij rentree in Ronde van Denemarken
- Ouest FranceCyclisme. De retour de blessure, Wout Van Aert s'impose d'entrée sur le Tour du Danemark malgré une nouvelle chute
- Wout van Aert
- Belgian rider for Visma-Lease a Bike, winner of stage one of the 2026 Tour of Denmark.
- Christophe Laporte
- French teammate of Van Aert who led him out for the sprint.
- Lukáš Kubiš
- Slovak rider for Unibet Rose Rockets, placed second on the stage.
- Henrik Pedersen
- Danish rider for Uno-X Mobility, placed third on the stage.
- Søren Kragh Andersen
- Danish rider for Lidl-Trek who followed Van Aert's attack.
- Tim Torn Teutenberg
- German rider for Lidl-Trek, part of the eight-man group at the finish.
- Tomáš Kopecký
- Czech rider who attacked in the finale before being caught by Laporte.
- Pier-André Côté
- Canadian rider for NSN, part of the eight-man group at the finish.
- Mads Pedersen
- Danish winner of the 2025 Tour of Denmark.
- Arnaud De Lie
- Belgian winner of the 2024 Tour of Denmark.
- Remco Evenepoel
- Belgian winner of the 2021 Tour of Denmark.
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