Pedersen wraps up Tour of Denmark overall title

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Danish national road champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) sealed the overall victory at the Tour of Denmark on Saturday, finishing second on the fifth and final stage and nabbing bonus seconds to extend his GC lead over second-placed Michael Valgren (Astana). Sunweb's Max Walscheid claimed the victory in the finale in Aarhus.

"I have to say the team did an amazing job today to keep it all together. They controlled the race perfectly and did exactly as we planned, and I think in the end it may have taken a little bit the energy from Valgren to attack because maybe he saw how strong the team was," Pedersen said.

A seven-rider break opened a respectable lead in the early goings but the peloton ultimately reeled in the escape, with Trek and Giant-Castelli controlling the pace in the pack.

With the race back together for the final 10 kilometres, the final stage came down to a finishing sprint, with Walscheid starting early and holding off the rest of the field to nab the win. Pedersen nabbed stage runner-up honours ahead of Michael Carbel Svendgaard (Team Virtu Cycling).

It's the second general classification victory of the year for Pedersen, who won August's Tour du Poitou Charentes.

"For sure this race means more," Pedersen said when asked to compare the two. "It's my home country and to ride the race in Denmark with the National Championship jersey on, and all the people, and how they cheer for you … Yeah, this win is really special."

Valgren finished fifth in the sprint to close out the Tour of Denmark 15 seconds behind Pedersen. Casper Pedersen (Giant-Castelli) rounded out the GC podium in third overall.

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