On July 1, 2022, it is Grand Départ of the Tour de France. This year, the entire traveling circus will descend on Denmark. How that came about is a whole story. We already traveled to the land of the Vikings in May to do a proper route exploration. Normally, the first stages of the Tour are on boring, straight roads. Work for the sprinters, with every now and then a castle or another highlight along the way. Denmark has really done its best to break that trend. How will it look? Read Part 1 of Cycling in Denmark here, But with bicycles in Denmark: in the wake of the Tourstart, we take you over the finish line of the second stage, about ‘the bridge’ and then on to the kingdom of the cyclists. Tip from the ladies in the know: it’s by no means flat here.
Text: Sander Kolsloot, photos: Camilly Hylleberg & Jakub Gerluff/VisitDenmark
As a Viking
While the mercury remains just below 10 degrees Celsius and the sun stubbornly hides behind a grey cloud cover, a large number of Danes (and a few journalists) jump into the water for a refreshing morning swim. A ritual that is not only reserved for the Danes. All over Scandinavia you see people braving the cold early in the morning and starting the day with a nice breeze. It seems to boost the immune system. The well-known ’Iceman‘ Wim Hof swears by it. This morning the lure of the warm bed is stronger than the cry of the cold sea. The Viking swimming diploma just has to wait a little longer.
Churches and more
A tour start is always an opportunity to bring the region and important places in that region to the attention. The great church of Roskilde is a sight to behold, but in Kallundborg, along the route of the second stage, you will also find a beautiful sight. The ‘Our Lady Church’ is a unique sight. The church, dating from the 13th century, has a unique appearance, due to its five pointed towers. For the cycling tourists, this is a nice stop to have a coffee in the old village as well. For the riders during the race, this will be the point where the first unrest arises. The intermediate sprint will be held here somewhere and after the three climbs around Kårup, the different teams will try to sit across from each other. With the Storebælt Bridge in sight, that will be beautiful.
Lunch under the bridge
The Storebælt Bridge will be in sight throughout the entire stage. We follow the course towards the foot of the bridge and it all looks flat, but it keeps going up and down. Could the organization have deliberately chosen such a stage to tire out the sprinters? We continue driving through endless fields of rapeseed, past lovely villages where yellow-painted bicycles mark the route. We have some mishaps along the way, but the course is stunning. Our goal? A lunch spot at the foot of the bridge. Hard to find if you don’t know it, but once we arrive, a lovely couple is waiting for us. They have put together an amazing lunch with local produce. Moreover, we get fresh asparagus, which were planted yesterday. The weather is a bit chilly, but the woolen blankets help. The view of the immense bridge reminds us again: here the spirits are up!
Storebælt Bridge
When the organization of the Grand Depart Copenhagen Denmark approached the ASO to bring the tour to Denmark, they got a resounding no. Christian Prudhomme had no interest in it. ‘Too far away’, was the simple conclusion. Now it is known that other organizations have also been able to persuade the Frenchman with clever tactics. The best tactic? A night of good local grape juice, but above all: perseverance. Just like in the case of Denmark. After many conversations, bottles of wine and dinners, the start got a possible chance: But how do you get from Denmark to France as quickly as possible (within 45 minutes by plane)? Well, that required a middle solution. With a passage through Belgium and a bit of calculation using the ‘French Battle’, Pruhdomme became increasingly convinced. But still.
Destination Odense Nyborg
The original plan of the Danish organization was a finish in the cycling city of Odense. Not so fast (not so fast) said the ASO. Because in 2015 there was a fantastic finish on Neeltje Jans. That Storebælt bridge, which could have become a second Neeltje Jans. The verdict from France was clear: finish on the bridge, or not! It seems that Prudhomme even requested the wind reports from the last 10 years, from the first weekend in July. The intention? Finish on the side, spectacle! With the compromise that was eventually reached, Nyborg got the finish in her lap. The line was drawn on the ‘hamburger street’. To the great amusement of local hero Bo Hamburger. The street is not named after the former TVM comedian, but because the ferry boats departed here. The hamburger restaurants on the street are a lasting reminder of Nyborg as a ferry port.
Cross the bridge yourself
By the way, do you want to cycle across the bridge yourself? That is not possible. At least, not normally. It is a 100km road and there are quite strong side winds. On June 11, 2022, there is an exception when the bridge is closed for a real ‘Tour’ ride. You can then cycle across the bridge yourself and experience what the riders will experience in July 2022. Hopefully this will become a recurring event.
Kingdom of Cycling
For many, the city of Vejle (pronounced Weile) will evoke little special memories. It is a town near Billund, where ‘lego for’ and ‘lego after’ are the norm. Yet this city is on July 3 the epicentre of a tour stage. Right? We think so. They think it’s the same for them, too, because they chose the claim ‘Kingdom of Cycling’ not for nothing. That there is a wordplay in it is no surprise. The Danes are not the most exuberant of peoples, but when it comes to wordplay and ’tongue-in-cheek’ references they may well be the best. The climbs in Vejle are downright steep, with a strong resemblance to the Ardennes. Is a forced march being planned here?
Bluetooth
King Bluebeard and his father are perhaps the founders of Denmark. At the very least, they were the first to have the name Denmark carved into a stone. This stone, which can be admired in the museum in Jelling, contains short messages. A kind of Twitter but for the internet. In the museum itself, the Danish humor comes to life. With the hashtag #themuseumhetdichtsbijhettourparcoursbuitenhetlouvre, they want to make a statement. The distance to the route? 208 whole centimeters, measured from an imaginary point. At least, that’s what I’m thinking. The hashtag isn’t exactly trending yet. King Bluebeard is posthumously the eponym of Bluetooth technology. This man was a visionary.
Sonderjylland
After the round of Vejle, the peloton will speed up towards Aabenraa and finally reach Sønderborg. On the way, they will have little regard for the beautiful town of Christiansfeld, where the cobblestones seem to be laid for a good course. The peloton will avoid it as the plague. Then they will also miss the honey cakes, typical of this picturesque town. We have included a lot of them and most of them have already been eaten before we continue. Meanwhile, Alex Pedersen, the man behind the entire Tourstart Denmark idea, has joined us. Pedersen is the man of anecdotes, but also the one who has lobbied for this festival since 2012. It is a bitter pill for him that he is no longer officially involved in the festival. He doesn't seem to mind. Journalists waiting for us along the route are being greeted politely by him, and he is visibly enjoying the group as well. This is his child.
Cote de Genner
Just before Aabenraa, we drive along the coast and dive into the hills. A few steep ‘côtes’ separate us from the hotel in Aabenraa. It all sounds very lovely, but the Cote de Genner is a kilometer-long hill. With the vegetation and the viaduct, this would not be out of place in a Flemish or Ardennes classic. It’s not a Koppenberg, but still. The peloton continues through the yellow rapeseed fields and with two flashes of light they are through Aabenraa. The road from the coast goes up and down in a wavy manner. We make another stop in Gråsten, where the Royal Garden is open to the public. The carrot cake certainly tastes good and then we head back towards Sønderborg. The city is ready there. The bridge over the water has been painted yellow and at the finish line of the 3rd stage we are enthusiastically welcomed.
Denmark is ready for it
The reception in Sønderborg is also the end of our route and the journey along the tour route. What a journey it has been. For six days, cycling was the order of the day. One thing has become clear: Denmark is completely ready for the start. They have also had two extra years of preparation, but nevertheless the country is truly ready. You can see it everywhere along the route. Yellow bicycles, green signs, the dots on the Cote de Genner. Large banners that say ‘the Tour is coming’.
Route
Would you like to follow our routes and also see what it’s like to ride in the Tour’s wake? It’s a beautiful area. We recommend heading there in late April or early May, because the rapeseed fields are in bloom then. That also gives the beautiful pictures. In any case, you can find the routes here. Stick them together, cut them in half, but above all, ride them!
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.