Van Aert returns: dominant victory on Stage 1 of the Tour of Denmark

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) made his grand return to racing in the most spectacular way possible: taking a stage victory on the first day of the Tour of Denmark , outsprinting Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Henrik Pedersen (Uno-X Mobility) at the end of a hilly stage around Aalborg.

The Belgian champion had been absent from the competitive scene for some time, even missing the Tour de France due to an elbow injury complicated by an infection. A long layoff that had fueled doubts and questions about his condition. The answer, however, came loud and clear from northern Denmark.

The stage was decided on a circuit with a repeated climb, Mølleparken (0.7 km at 6%), which made the final selection. On the penultimate lap, six riders managed to break away from the pack: Pedersen, Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek), Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike), Pier-André Côté (NSN), Kubiš, and his teammate Tomáš Kopecký. This sextet worked well together, maintaining their lead until the final lap.

On the final climb of Mølleparken, Van Aert upped the pace and joined the leading group alongside Søren Kragh Andersen (Lidl-Trek), bringing the group to eight riders heading for the finish. At that point, the situation became tactical: Kubiš let Kopecký and Teutenberg go, trying to pass the load to the others. Laporte had to respond for his captain, bringing Van Aert back into contact with the leaders.

And from there, the Belgian made history: a powerful throw, right arm raised to the sky—the same arm he'd had surgery on months ago—and a liberating smile at the finish line. Kubiš and Pedersen attempted to rally in the final 100 meters, but it was no match for a revitalized Van Aert, in dazzling form.

Tour of Denmark Stage 1 Results:

1. Wout Van Aert (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike 3:46:04 —
2. Lukáš Kubiš (Svk) Unibet Rose Rockets st —
3. Henrik Pedersen (Den) Uno-X Mobility st —
4. Tim Torn Teutenberg (Ger) Lidl-Trek st —
5. Pier-André Côté (Can) NSN Cycling Team st —
6. Christophe Laporte (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike st —
7. Tomáš Kopecký (Cze) Unibet Rose Rockets st —
8. Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Lidl-Trek st —
9. Jensen Plowright (Aus) Alpecin-Premier Tech st —
10. Anders Foldager (Den) Denmark st