The Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange Jayco) claimed victory in a tight sprint in the third and final Danish stage of the Tour de France, beating Belgian Wout Van Aert by millimeters, who once again had honey on his lips, although dressed in the yellow jersey.
Groenewegen (Amsterdam, 29 years old), was the fastest among the sprinters called to solve a quiet day that only became animated in the final kilometers, especially on the finish line, where the battle was "to knife" at over 70 per hour. He prevailed after checking the arrival photo with a time of 4:11:33 ahead of Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma), second for the third time in a row, but still leader, adding a 6-second bonus.
The third classified in the third day that took the peloton from Vejle to Sonderborg through 182 km was the Belgian Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Fenix). It was a confusing ending, in a long, confusing sprint, with Jakobsen locked in from afar and Peter Sagan, fourth, claiming rare maneuvers in the fray.
Van Aert debuted the yellow jersey without a stage win. He has been looking for it since the Copenhagen time trial, but the Belgian punctured the bone for the third time, three times with the bittersweet taste of not hunting the desired prey. "I will defend the yellow", said the one from Herentals at the exit. That was achieved, without a doubt, and he will enter France as skipper of the general classification with 7 seconds ahead of his compatriot Yves Lampaert (Quick Step) and 14 seconds ahead of the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates).
Not yet dressed in the yellow tunic, Pogacar comes out as a great beneficiary of the Danish trilogy. The time trial allowed him to open the first differences. Short compared to some rivals, 8 and 9 seconds ahead of the Jumbo duo made up of Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic, but appreciable compared to others, since Dani Martínez is 37, Nairos Quintana 42 and the Spanish Enric Mas 49.
MAGNUS CORT, THE LONE RANGER
Last stage in Denmark with a profile similar to that of Saturday, but without the obsession of the wind and without threatening bridges. The platoon started from Vejle on the East Coast of Jutland, an industrial center known as "The Manchester of Denmark", with a low level of combativeness. But the interests are varied, and a Dane sought his fate alone.
The brave one was Magnus Cort, the first leader of the mountain. The EF Education cyclist hit a veritable bath of crowds dressed in red dots, acclaimed by his fervent compatriots in the ditches. Denmark, a country that vibrates more with football than handball, left a fantastic memory as host of the 2022 Tour.
