Everything about... Kasper Asgreen - Quick-Step's most recent classics star

Kasper Asgreen is a professional cyclist who currently races for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team and is a cobbled classics expert. The Dane has taken several national titles on both road races and time-trials but has also established himself as one of the best time-trialists in the world. Asgreen is the winner of both E3 Saxo Bank Classic and the Tour des Flandres in 2021, his best career achievements. You can check the biography at all times by clicking here. 

Name: Kasper Asgreen

Born: 8 February 1995

Birthplace: Kolding, Denmark

Turned Pro: 2015

Height: 1.92m

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Kasper Asgreen was born on the 8th of February 1995 in Kolding, Denmark. He has established himself as one of the most successful classics riders of the 2020's, and it all started at the age of 14 when he joined the Kolding Cycling Club close to home. In the youth ranks Asgreen showed some potential, eventually riding for the Odder CK team in 2014. Asgreen currently has a contract with Quick-Step until 2024 with a salary reported to be around €1 million euros. He is in a relationship with Gabrielle Pilote, a pro rider for the women's Cofidis team. 

In 2015 he got his first professional contract with the MLP Team Bergstrasse, a German continental team in which he took his first steps in racing a wide international calendar. In 2016 he was signed by the Virtu Pro Veloconcept team where he began showing his talent as a pro, finishing on the podium of the GP Viborg, Tour de Berlin, both under-23 and Elite national time-trial championships, and finishing 5th at the World time-trial championships at under-23.

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In 2017 he improved on his past results, winning the GP Viborg and the under-23 time-trial nationals. Most importantly he became European time-trial champion in the category beating his own compatriot Mikkel Bjerg, and has also won the opening stage of the Tour de l'Avenir after a solo attack in the final kilometers. In early 2018 he also won a stage at the Istrian Spring Trophy, but his talent had already seen Quick-Step contact and make a mid-season transfer in April. That year the Dane was a domestique for the team and was riding to get experience in the World Tour, riding his first Grand Tour at the Vuelta a Espana and helping the team into victory at the team time-trial World Championships.

In 2019 Asgreen very abruptly broke through into the world scene as, without being a favourite or outsider, he rode into 2nd place at the Tour des Flandres only behind Alberto Bettiol, after attacking off the chasing group. Asgreen quickly became part of the team's essential and very strong classics block. Soon after though he showed his talent was not only in the classics as he won a hilly stage at the Tour of California, and rode into a 3rd place in the World Tour event as he resisted the mountains. The month after he became Danish time-trial champion and made his way to the Tour de France, where he worked for the team's sprinter but almost won his first Tour stage in Gap on the 17th day where only Matteo Trentin beat him.

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Asgreen finished the Tour and went on to finish 2nd at the European time-trial championships however, and later won a hilly stage at the Deutschland Tour. He was proven to be a rider worthy of being protected by the team, and in 2020 he began the spring with a different role, holding on to a brave and dramatic win at the Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne back in February before the Covid-19 lockdown. He managed to win both time-trial and road race national championships, aswell as finish 6th and the ITT World Championships, with another Tour de France participation and cobbled classics block under his belt.

All that would lead into 2021, where he won the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, one of the most difficult and important cobbled classics, which set him up for a favourite role at the Tour des Flandres. Sure enough, Asgreen did not disappoint, as he managed to attack and work together with Mathieu van der Poel to fight for the win, and then beat the Dutchman in the final sprint to win his first monument. Asgreen had reached his best level, the month after also winning and finishing 3rd at the Volta ao Algarve, and then going on to win the ITT national championships once again.

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Asgreen rode a third Tour de France, almost capturing a win in the final time-trial where Wout van Aert was victorious. He finished 7th at the Olympic Games, 7th at the European Championships and 4th at the World Championships in the time-trial discipline. In 2022 Asgreen had a strong start to the season with a 3rd place at Strade Bianche, however illnesses wrecked his and most of Quick-Step's cobbled classics campaign, where a 10th position at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic was his best result. He rode into 6th at the Amstel Gold Race, but concluded his season after abandoning the Tour de France due to injuries sustained in a crash at the Tour de Suisse. There, he sustained heavy abrasions and bruises throughout his body on the 3rd stage, but has been selected to ride the Tour due to it's Grand Depart in his home nation of Denmark.

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