"Only when I saw the photo did I start to have doubts" - Wout van Aert thought he had lost Tour of Denmark stage before dramatic photo finish result reversal
CyclingThursday, 30 July 2026 at 18:43
Wout van Aert was eventually awarded the win after a controversial photo finish on stage 2 of the Tour of Denmark on Thursday. After leading the sprint, it appeared he was beaten to the line by Jensen Plowright in a late surge as the victory was initially handed to the Australian.
However, all was not as it seemed as the photo finish appeared to suggest the Visma | lease a Bike leader had won by fractions of a centimeter, leading to the podium presentation being delayed as organisers reviewed the decision.
Shortly afterwards, it was confirmed that van Aert had in fact taken the win and his second stage in a row while in the blue jersey, leading the general classification of the race.
Speaking after the result was changed, van Aert told media that he himself believed that Alpecin - Premier Tech's Plowright had bested him to the line.
“This is a first for me. I had the feeling that Jensen was passing me over, but he was so sure of himself that I thought it had already been checked," he told media.
Tour of Denmark stage 2 photo finish
Van Aert saw footage and had 'doubts' about result
But the result was quickly called into question, and once he saw the finish footage for himself, he too had his doubts as he described the hectic experience.
He added: "Only when I saw the photo did I start to have doubts. In the end, the coin landed in my favor. A very special experience.”
It had been far from a relaxing day even before the finish as a string of attacks in the final 30 kilometers offered almost a reprieve after crosswinds had split the peloton on several occasions midway through the stage.
Unlike Wednesday's crash-marred stage, there were no large crashes in the bunch.
Van Aert heads into Friday's stage as the overall leader and chasing a third win in a row following his return from injury that saw him miss the Tour de France. The Paris Roubaix winner's training crash in June saw an elbow wound get infected, derailing his participation at La Grand Boucle.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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