The Danish Olympic Committee has announced three of its selected riders for this year's Olympic Games in Paris, naming Lidl-Trek's Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose to the team of four that will compete in the road race.
The team, selected by the Danish Cycling Union (DCU), will also include lead-out man Michael Mørkøv, who rides for Astana Qazaqstan, not only for his skills in ushering sprinters to victory but because he is also due to compete in track cycling events - a factor unique to the Olympics which severely limit the number of athletes that can compete in each sport.
That leaves one remaining spot for the men's team to be decided before July.
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Jonas Vingegaard, who scored the majority of the points that earned Denmark their four entries for Paris and expressed interest in riding, had a massive setback this week when he crashed in the Itzulia Basque Country on stage 4 and suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and broken collarbone.
“I have told Anders [Lund] that I am interested in riding. But he explained to me that it is not certain that I will be selected, even if I want to. I also understand that well," Vingegaard said in November.
National coach Anders Lund viewed the road route, which has a Spring Classics flavour with a short but steep cobbled climb, in order to make the selection.
"I was in Paris last week to inspect the route and was completely blown away," Lund said in a press release from the DCU. "There are lots of narrow streets on the final laps in Paris with a cobblestone climb up to Montmartre shortly before the finish. That route is really good for Mads, and I consider him one of the absolute favourites of the race."
Skjelmose, currently leading the Itzulia Basque Country after five stages, is in the midst of a breakthrough season after finishing fourth in Paris-Nice and winning a stage.
"Mattias is just developing all the time," Lund said. "He is good in stage races, but he also performs really well in the tough one-day races. Among other things, at the last two World Championships. He has to help Mads, but Mattias also helps Mads by being a threat to the other countries' favourites in the final.
"In addition to being really good in the road race, Mattias can also compete with the best in the world in the time trial. The early selection allows Mattias to make an optimal preparation so that he can be in top form for the Olympics."
Mørkøv, who together with Norman Lasse Leth won the Madison at the Tokyo Olympics, would normally be due to reprise that role in Paris. However, the number of allowed riders for the track has been reduced for this year's Olympics. In order to keep all of the main riders for the Team Pursuit and Omnium and be able to field a team in the Madison, Mørkøv is being officially entered as a road cyclist and can be 'borrowed' by the track team for the Madison under the rules.
"The selection of Michael is based on a consideration of the overall Danish Olympic medal ambitions across the cycling disciplines. But having said that, Michael also has some really good skills on the road, which we will benefit from in Paris," Lund said.
"At the last three championships on the road, Michael has done exemplary support work for the Danish national team. Michael's vast experience and unique ability to pilot his captain gently through a long road race will undoubtedly be valuable to Mads Pedersen's chances of winning the medal we dream of."
The fourth and final rider for the men's road race is scheduled to be selected in early June. In addition to the four places in the road race, Denmark has also secured two places in the time trial. These two riders must be taken from the four who line up in the road race.
