Michael Valgren Andersen (Tinkoff-Saxo) continued his impressive start to his professional career when he won today's Danish road race championships. Having worked hard for his teammates all day, the Dane was surprised to take the victory and attributed it to the good condition he has built up in his first few months at the elite level.

Today, the Danish national road race championships were held in Faaborg, Denmark. A hilly course with 15 laps covering 195 kilometers where Tinkoff-Saxo were on the start line with Matti Breschel, Michael Valgren Andersen, Jesper Hansen, Chris Anker Sørensen, Nicki Sørensen, Michael Mørkøv and Christopher Juul-Jensen.

Matti Breschel, Chris Anker Sørensen, Michael Mørkøv and Michael Valgren Andersen were in the first breakaway, which was formed after 40 kilometers but the biggest continental teams in the race were represented among the 27 escapees as well and it looked like a crucial development of the race very early on.

Chris Anker Sørensen worked like a horse in the front group while teammate, Nicki Sørensen managed to bridge across with three followers, among others Troels Vinther (Team Cult- Vital Water). Behind, Magnus Cort (Team Cult-Vital Water) was struggling to do the same with teammate, Lasse Bøchmann, BMC’s Sebastian Lander and Tre-For Blue Water’s Rasmus Guldhammer.

As the race progressed, the front group was divided and with 60 kilometers to go, it was reduced to only 16 riders and the chasers were finally distanced. Entering the final 50 kilometers, Tinkoff-Saxo were represented by Nicki Sørensen, Matti Breschel and Michael Mørkøv in the front group of nine riders in total.

Nicki Sørensen leaped up the road with 30 kilometers to go and was joined by Martin Mortensen (Cult-Vital water) and at the same time, Cort was closing in on Mørkøv and Breschel. On the penultimate lap, Matti Breschel bridged across to Nicki and they were now two against one in the front trio.

However, the 22 year-old Michael Valgren then started his rocket engine. He launched the attack from third chase group and passed the front trio to solo his way to the finish line where he took his biggest win of his career by winning the Danish national championships in his neo pro season.

"This is absolutely phenomenal," he said. "The final 50 kilometers were really intense and when I bridged across, I was fortunate to be able to stay behind in the wheel of Rasmus Guldhammer and reaching the front group I went the other way in a roundabout securing no one could take my wheel.

"From then on, I knew that Mortensen was chasing alone while Matti and Nicki stayed behind and I quickly develop a decent gap. I was actually pretty exhausted in the finale after having worked side by side with Chris Anker Sørensen but I must be in pretty good shape since I was able to maintain the gap.

"My first race in the national jersey will probably be San Sebastian or the Tour of Denmark and of course, I'm looking forward to it."

Michael Mørkøv took bronze.