"I got a helping hand from Mads Pedersen" - Jakob Fuglsang's pro career ends in fairy-tale fashion thanks in part to Tour of Denmark winner

After nearly two decades in the professional peloton, Jakob Fuglsang brought the curtain down on his storied career with a memorable final ride through the Danish heartland — and a little help from a fellow countryman.

The 40-year-old veteran was centre stage during the final day of racing at this year’s Tour of Denmark, attacking early and featuring in the day’s breakaway on the 157-kilometre route from Hobro to his hometown of Silkeborg. Though a farewell win proved elusive, Fuglsang could hardly have asked for a better send-off.

“I honestly can’t imagine a better ending,” he told Feltet.dk after crossing the finish line in 92nd, over seven minutes down on the eventual stage winner Mads Pedersen. “I just had to give it a go and see if I could be the first into Silkeborg.”

His efforts were supported — quite literally — by Pedersen, who secured the overall GC win with his third stage victory of the race, and the Lidl–Trek team, who made it clear that Fuglsang’s final day on the bike wouldn’t go unnoticed. “Mads already said to me yesterday, ‘We just need to get you in the break,’ and Kim Andersen (Lidl-Trek DS) said the same to me this morning,” Fuglsang revealed. “So I knew they were on board with it. That was our plan from the start, and then I got a helping hand from Mads — which was brilliant.”

Though the break was eventually reeled in with 22 kilometres to go, Fuglsang sat up and soaked in the atmosphere on his home roads — cheered on by the Danish public who have followed his journey from mountain biker to Monument winner. “Those last few laps, it wasn’t about racing anymore,” he said. “It was about enjoying the moment — and the support out there was just incredible.”

Speaking to TV2 before the final stage, Mads Pedersen didn’t hold back in his praise for Fuglsang’s contribution to Danish cycling — highlighting the 2019 Liège–Bastogne–Liège and 2020 Il Lombardia wins, along with his multiple World Tour stage race titles.

“I think we can all agree that Jakob is one of the greatest Danish riders we’ve ever had,” Pedersen said. “Monument wins, World Tour stage race wins — not many others have done that. Everyone knows how many times he’s tried the bloody Tour de France, and then the guy from North Jutland comes in and wins a couple!”

Pedersen also touched on the fickle nature of national sporting expectations — hinting that Fuglsang, at times, didn’t receive the recognition his results deserved.

“I think we Danes can get a bit spoiled, and then when things don’t go our way, we’re just as quick to start criticising. I don’t want the headline to be ‘Mads says Danes are too harsh on riders’, but I do think Jakob deserved more credit for the career he’s had,” Pedersen explains. “He’ll be missed in the peloton, and I think we owe him a huge round of applause and respect.”