Final kilometers across Denmark with another chance for runners

The third stage of the Tour de France is the last chance for the Danish riders to show themselves in their country. The Tour convoy will leave for France on Monday on its first rest day to continue racing there.

The start of Phase III is by no means known as Cycling City. Vejle is basically a soccer town. Local club Willy BK won the Danish championship five times, and local champion Thomas Gravesen arrived at Real Madrid.

However, Vejle also produced a knack for cycling, even though he was touring with Swiss citizenship. Tony Romminger was born in a Danish town on the Jutland peninsula to a Swiss father and a Danish mother.

Romminger only got on with cycling at a later age, when he moved to Switzerland with his father. He became a professional at the age of 25 and won his first major competition when he was 28 years old.

It didn’t stand in the way of a great career. In 1992, 1993 and 1994 he won the Vuelta a España and in 1995 he was the best in the Giro d’Italia. He never won the Tour de France. His best finish was second overall in 1993. He has three wins in the same edition.

A few years later, Vejle also produced the brothers Rasmus and Thomas Guldhammer. However, they can never follow in Rominger’s footsteps.

Kasper Asgreen was not born in Vejle, but is active in a well-known area on Sundays. Dane was born from QuickStep in Kolding, where the peloton will pass in the afternoon.

The battle for stage victory will once again be between the two runners. Will Fabio Jacobsen make his second run in a row or can Dylan Groenwegen make it difficult for his compatriot this time around?

Groenwegen himself is certainly an optimist. “I’m usually at my best after a disappointment.”

A Danish party cannot be ruled out on the last day in Denmark either. Mads Pedersen also tried it on Saturday and then crossed the line in third. The 2019 world champion will undoubtedly want to race the sprint again.