Ridolfo sprints to 16th on opening stage of Tour of Denmark

Team Novo Nordisk made an encouraging start to their most important race of the season as Italian rouleur Filippo Ridolfo finished 16th in the explosive finale on stage one of the PostNord Danmark Rundt, held over 197km in and around the northern city of Aalborg.

The stage was far from straightforward, with a massive crash around 70 kilometres from the finish fragmenting the peloton into several groups and adding a layer of chaos to an already hectic day of racing. From the flag the race was aggressive, with Bailey McDonald and Antonio Polga both active over the opening 30 kilometres as the team sought to establish a presence in the early breakaway. Each move was quickly pulled back before a five-rider break eventually formed, with the peloton keeping a tight rein on proceedings and never allowing the escape to go beyond around two minutes.

The stage was ultimately decided by a hilly final circuit centred around the Mølleparken climb — 700 metres at six percent — where the race exploded on the final lap, whittling down the contenders and setting up a frantic sprint finish in the heart of the city.

“I felt good throughout the stage,” said Ridolfo. “I’m happy and proud to be leading the team here at the Tour of Denmark and trying to embrace the responsibility rather than feel weighed down by it. Antonio, Bailey and Declan all tried for the early breakaway, which was the first of our objectives, but the bunch wasn’t letting any move get very far.”

Ridolfo navigated the chaotic finale with composure, putting his local circuit knowledge to good use in the closing kilometres. “We’d done the circuits in Aalborg before and I remember them well, so I knew that if I could stay in position near the front there was a good chance of a positive result,” he said. “I managed to hold position over the ramp for the last time and gave it everything to the line.”

With four stages still to come, the team will look to build on today’s encouraging platform as the race moves on.