Michael Valgren (Tinkoff-Saxo) has continued the fantastic start to his professional career by adding the Danish road race championships to his palmares. In a very aggressive and uncontrollable race, he joined a three-rider group in the finale, went straight past them and held off his chasers to take a solo victory.
Earlier this year Michael Valgren gave the first signs that he has the skills to mix it up with the best professionals when the neo-pro finished third overall in the Four Days on Dunkirk. Three days after finishing third in the time trial, he continued his great start by winning today's Danish road race championships.
Valgren was part of a very big 27-rider group that escaped after a very aggressive start to the 197km race in Faaborg. At his side he had teammates Matti Breschel, Michael Mørkøv and Chris Anker Sørensen but importantly one of the big favourites Magnus Cort (Cult) had missed the move.
The Tinkoff-Saxo team did a lot of work to make sure that the Cort group didn't return to the front. Several riders managed to bridge the gap, including Tinkoff-Saxo rider Nicki Sørensen, but Cort never made the junction.
On the hilly course, the front group was gradually whittled down as Tinkoff-Saxo continued to set a hard pace and with 65km to go, only 12 riders were left. With Nicki Sørensen, Mørkøv, Valgren and Breschel all there, Tinkoff-Saxo were in a comfortable situation.
The attacking now started and at one point, Valgren seemed to be out of the battle when 12 riders got clear. From that group, Sørensen, Breschel and Martin Mortensen escaped and while Valgren and Rasmus Guldhammer bridged the gap to the chasers.
With 11km to go, Valgren attacked on his own and when he joined the front trio, he launched an immediate acceleration. With two of his chasers being teammates, no one responded and Valgren continued on his own to a solo win.
Behind, a 9-rider group formed and here Michael Carbel Svendgaard (Cult) beat Mørkøv in the sprint for second.
Valgren won't get the chance to show off his new jersey in the Tour de France as he is not in contention for a spot on the Tinkoff-Saxo roster.
Result:
1. Michael Valgren Andersen 4.25.58
2. Michael Carbel Svendgaard +0.50
3. Michael Mørkøv
4. Rasmus Guldhammer
5. Martin Mortensen
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