Pedersen versus Kooij in the Copenhagen Sprint? - Domestique Stars

On Sunday June 22, the peloton takes on 235.7 kilometres from Roskilde to Copenhagen, finishing with five laps on a city circuit built for speed. With national hero Mads Pedersen on the start line, there’s no doubt who the Danish fans are rooting for.

But with Olav Kooij also in the mix, the fight for victory is anything but straightforward.

"The race starts with a tail/crosswind of 18–20 km/h, which could influence how things unfold, although the riders will mostly face a headwind in the second part of the route towards Copenhagen. The 10.25 km circuit, which will be completed five times, is fairly demanding, with 17 corners. Even though it's mostly flat, the corners and the distance of the race (235 km) will definitely take their toll. Riders determines the pace and the race, of course, but I believe this new World Tour "classic" could prove more demanding than most expect, hence the somewhat unusual star ratings. 

"Kooij, Pedersen and Andresen are definitely the sprinters with the endurance to handle this kind of effort, and I expect them to be up there. I wouldn’t rule out a small group sprinting for the win. Sprinters with a smaller engine will likely come up short for the win. That's why I leave some of them out of my stars, as the stars reflect the chances of winning, and that's the reason why I include some baroudeurs with a good sprint."

*****  Kooij
****  Pedersen, Andresen
***  Waerenskjold, Bauhaus, Meeus
**  Stewart, Del Grosso, Fretin, Viviani
*  Groenewegen, Søjberg Pedersen, Zijlaard, Vacek, Asgreen

"Even though this race is 230km, I’m still backing the pure sprinters, with Kooij as my top favourite. Stonger sprinters like Pedersen, who excel in tougher terrain but lack top-end speed on the flat, don’t rank as highly in my picks for that reason. I’m also really curious to see how Meeus performs here, especially after stepping off the bike in Suisse to focus fully on this race."

*****  Kooij
****  Groenewegen, Moschetti
***. Meeus, Bauhaus, Fretin
**  Pedersen, Andresen, Waerenskjold, Viviani
*  Dehairs, Zijlaard, Demare, Page, Rajovic

So, Eritropoetina and Dieter agree it should suit Olav Kooij - though Eritropoetina notes that with 235 kilometres on the menu, Mads Pedersen’s big engine makes him a serious threat.