Another Day of Heavy Rains at PostNord Danmark Rundt

14 September 2017

Race: Tour of Denmark, PostNord Danmark Rundt, Stage 3

Start/Finish: Otterup/Vejle, Denmark

Distance: 183.6 kilometers

Vejle, Denmark — Moving the PostNord Danmark Rundt later in the race calendar is definitely delivering some dynamic weather conditions. Following Stage 2, which was canceled due to the UCI’s Extreme Weather Protocol, Thursday’s stage was another intense day battling through heavy rains.

The 183.6-kilometer stage began in Otterup under slightly misleading skies with the peloton setting off in the sunshine and with 15C temperatures. A six-man break escaped and earned a gap of more than five minutes.

As the peloton reached the feed zone, intense rain showers fell, which led to several crashes and made for a nervous finale. By the time the escapees were caught, the chase was reduced to around 30 riders while the rest of the peloton was completely shattered.

Attacks flew on the challenging finishing laps around Vejle, but it was Trek-Segafredo that played the best race. In the final kilometers, Jasper Stuyven and Mads Pedersen launched one-two attacks that paid off with Pedersen soloing to the win.

Joonas Henttala

“From the feed zone on, we got some pretty intense showers, and it stayed that way until the end of the race. That made the bunch even more nervous–the roads here are pretty slippery. It was overall an intense, fast day with some steep climbs and crosswinds. It was hard racing.”

The world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team continues competing in two races: the Tour of China and the PostNord Danmark Rundt. Friday serves as the battle of the time trials. Stage 4 of the Tour of China is a short 3.3-km flat race against the clock while at the PostNord Danmark Rundt the riders tackle a 17.8-km individual time trial on an out-and-back course from the Randers Rainforest.