"What a stain on Danish cycling" - Mathias Norsgaard fumes at his nation over scandalous handling of national ITT controversy

There was massive controversy in Danish cycling earlier last month when it was announced that, eight months after being initially disqualified, Johan Price-Pejtersen would finally be given the Danish National Championship win in the individual time trial. Within the Danish cycling fraternity though, length of time it took to reach this decision, and the way the whole matter has been handled means there is much criticism.

"On June 21st, I won the Danish Time Trial Championship by crossing the line first, followed by an unjust disqualification. Today, January 28th, 2025, that decision has been overturned. 7 months later! 7 months where I have not been able to wear the Dannebrog have been robbed of some of the most precious time a cyclist can have," wrote Price-Pejtersen in a post on Instagram after the decision, lashing out fiercely. "My lawyer and I will also expect serious internal consequences from DCU... No one can benefit from such incompetence from both DCU and the commissioners in question, if the integrity of the sport is to be protected."

That wasn't the end of it either. Mattias Skjelmose, who had been the beneficiary of Price-Pejtersen's DQ was not actually told he was no longer Danish champion after all. To follow it up, the Danish Cycling Union then launched their own tirade, via a press release targeted at responding to Price-Pejtersen's criticisms. "We do not find that taking the dialogue through the press and social media is in any way appropriate for either the case or Johan. In addition, Johan uses language that is not in anyone's interest," Jens-Erik Majlund, acting director of the DCU, said in a press release.

According to Movistar Team rider and former Danish national ITT champion Matthias Norsgaard though, the blame lies solely at the foot of his nation's cycling organisation. "It is completely absurd that a decision is only made here seven months after the case," begins the 27-year-old on the podcast Forhjulslir.

"DCU has been criticizing Johan for being very direct on social media for handling the conflict through the media. At the same time, they (DCU) have exceeded their own deadlines and dragged it out. Afterwards, they start giving Johan adult scolding via a press release, and they have neither informed Skjelmose nor Johan where they should read about the decision in the media," continues a clearly fuming Norsgaard. "What a stain on Danish cycling history that has been written. I agree with neither one nor the other. I accept Skjelmose and Johan equally. They are lovely people, and in my book none of them are scoundrels and have done anything wrong. I think it has been a shame to see that people have had to wait seven months to get a decision in this case."