Jordi Meeus was the fastest rider when the Copenhagen Sprint was decided in a bunch sprint in front of the National Gallery of Denmark. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider beat the two Frenchmen, Alexis Renard and Émilien Jeannière, to the remaining podium spots, while Tobias Lund Andresen was the best-placed Dane in 5th.
On Sunday, Jordi Meeus won the inaugural edition of the World Tour race Copenhagen Sprint. After 235 kilometers from Roskilde across the roads of North Zealand, the race ended in a mass sprint where Meeus edged out Alexis Renard and Émilien Jeannière. The top Danish finisher was Tobias Lund Andresen of Team Picnic-PostNL in 5th place.
Jordi Meeus was thrilled with his victory in Copenhagen, calling it one of the biggest wins of his career:
“It’s definitely one of my biggest victories. I had a good win a few days ago (in the Tour de Suisse – ed.), so I’m super happy I can go home with another one. This is my first win in a World Tour one-day race, so it really means a lot,” said Jordi Meeus.
Although several breakaways formed throughout the race, the winner remained focused on himself and his sprint:
“I actually wasn’t too worried about the break making it to the finish – I just focused on myself and delivering the best possible sprint. I’m really happy I could take the win,” he said, adding that he enjoyed the great atmosphere along the course – especially on the city circuit in the heart of Copenhagen.
The 235 km route started in Roskilde and took the peloton around North Zealand through Frederikssund, Hillerød, Farum, Hillerød again, and Ballerup before reaching the city circuit in Copenhagen’s Nørrebro district after 181 km.
The race was marked by an early five-man breakaway, including national team riders Mads Andersen and Joshua Gudnitz. The peloton kept the gap under control, gradually reeling them in toward the capital. By the time the riders hit the city circuit, the lead was down to less than a minute.
On the 11 km circuit in Copenhagen, there were repeated attacks aimed at disrupting a sprint finish. A new five-man breakaway, including Mads Andersen and Casper Pedersen from the national team, stayed out front for some time.
However, the sprinters’ teams took control, and a bunch sprint seemed inevitable – until a crash just before the bell lap ruined the chances for pre-race favorite Olav Kooij. Several key leadout riders for Mads Pedersen were also caught in the crash.
In the end, the first edition of the World Tour race came down to a sprint between the fastest men left in the bunch on Sølvgade, in front of the National Gallery of Denmark – and Jordi Meeus was the fastest of them all.
