The Tour de France started Friday with Jeremy Lecroq the first rider to set off on an individual time trial in the center of Copenhagen. (More Sports News)
Among the thousands of fans, some waving the red-and-white Danish flag, was the country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
The Tour de France started Friday with Jeremy Lecroq the first rider to set off on an individual time trial in the center of Copenhagen. (More Sports News)
Large parts of the Danish capital were shut down for the first stage of the race, with a rain shower making sections of the 13-kilometer (eight-mile) route potentially trea♑cherous for t♓he cyclists — especially the stretch across the square of Amalienborg Palace, the main residence of Denmark's royal family, which is paved with cobble stones.
S🍰wiss rider Stefan Bissegger became the first one to crash on the slippery roadไs, going down twice, but was quickly back on his bike.
The time trial, a race against the clock that sees the riders set out one by one in intervals, will also go past some of Copenhagen's other best-known landmarks, including♒ the Little Mermaid statue, sitting on her perch at the entrance of the harbor.
The rain had stopped by the time the race started but the roads we𒈔re still soaking wet.
Among the thousands of fans, some ✤waving the red-and-wh💜ite Danish flag, was the country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
“It is wonderful to see,” Frederiksen said.
“I grew up💟 with my dad🍨 being glued to the television screen to watch Tour de France.”
It's the first 🀅time the cla🦩ssic race starts in Denmark.
Earlier Friday, Denmark's Crown Pri🥃nce Frederik went for a ride along the route.
“I have just ridden the route by bike. It is great to sꦜee the great support for the tour at home,” said the 54-year Frederik, s🧔porting a helmet, shorts and a t-shirt.
The palace also published on Instagram vintag𒐪e photos of Danish royals riding bicycles, including Frederik's great grandfather, King Christian X and the current Queen Margrethe.
Some locals got up early to get a good spot along the route, including 77-year-old Grethe Dalsgård, who told Danish broadcaster DR that she arrived at around 7:30 a.m. and was 🐽standing some 20 meters from the finishing line by the City Hall.
&quo꧒t;I am sur🅘e I will be able to see them all,” Dalsgård told DR.
The three-week race has two more stages in Denmark this weekend, including crossing🀅 the Great Belt Bridge that links the Zealand island, where Copenhagen sits and the cent꧃ral isle of Funen.
The start in Denmark — the 24th time that the race has started outside of France — was supposed to be held in 2021 but was postpꦑoned a year because of the coronav✱irus pandemic.
After the Danish stages, the riders travel to France with a stage between Dunkerque and Calais꧑.
Last year, Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar won the Tour for the third straight time and he is a firm favorite to ♚defend his title. The race ends in Paris on July 24.