PREVIEW | Tour of Denmark 2025 - Lidl-Trek set to dominate 'home' race

From the 12th to the 16th of August the peloton will be in Denmark for the Tour of Denmark - or Danmark Rundt. The race has grown in level over the years and has at this point become one of the month's most important events, always with a star-studded field. We preview the race ahead.

Stage 1 of the race will be tacking place in the island of Bornholm. It's an interesting day of racing that will suit the sprinters but not with certainty as a final circuit can provide with some explosive action that could trigger quite a lot.

Only 1500 meters of climbing, but it comes at good timings, action-wise. The start of the day is relatively easy and the finale is quite sketchy and hilly. The riders will tackle a three-lap circuit, each including the ascent to the small Helligpeder ascent which is 700 meters long at 7.4%, with 3.5 kilometers of slight uphill terrain before a straight descent.

The peloton will finish this circuit with 15 kilometers to go, and those final kilometers will be flat into Ronne for what is an expected final sprint.

Stage 2 of the race takes place between Rodovre and Gladsaxe. It is a pan-flat day with nothing worth mentioning profile-wise, it will all be about the final sprint which takes place at the end of a three-lap circuit in the Danish town.

The third stage of the race will see the riders taking on a time-trial, perhaps the most important stage of the race GC-wise. The time-trial in Kerteminde will not be difficult, it's 14 kilometers long but it will create gaps and set the order ahead of the hilly days of the race.

The queen stage of the race and the Tour of Denmark classic. The stage stards in Svendborg and will have a total of over 226 kilometers, quite a long day on the bike and one ending in the town of Vejle.

This is what the race provides for every year and it is because the riders will tackle a very explosive and chaotic final circuit. This one, to be tackled three times, features three small climbs, all of which less than 1 kilometer long and averaging between 5 and 7%. It's hard to control in this constant up-and-down terrain, specially after so many hours of racing.

The race finishes off with another explosive stage, although honestly it's very hard to make any difference until the final circuit in the race. The stage begins in Hobro and although it features quite a lot of small climbs throughout the day, all of the focus will be in the final circuit.

The stage finishes in Silkebourg after 157 kilometers and the riders will take on four laps. Here there is a small climb of 1 kilometer at 5.1%, which is tackled every 5.5 kilometers - the final of which coinciding with the finish line. The climb is not very hard but the fact that the stage ends with this ascent should see a lack of attacks and a big focus on those final gaps and bonifications that can be grabbed.

*** Mads Pedersen, Mattias Skjelmose
** Axel Zingle, Alec Segaert
* Albert Philipsen, Soren Kragh Andersen, Magnus Cort Nielsen, Soren Waerenskjold, Tibor del Grosso, Jasper Philipsen

Pick: Mads Pedersen