Philipsen wins chaotic crash marred Copenhagen Sprint

Jasper Philipsen won the 2026 Copenhagen Sprint after good work by his Alpecin-Premier Tech teammates. 

The finale was marred by a significant pile-up with 18.5 kilometres to go, which had split the peloton in half, with several riders falling victim to the incident.

The day's breakaway fought hard and heard the bell for the final lap with less than 10 kilometres to go, and had a chance at a shot of victory as the rain lashed down on the city centre circuit. 

In the final 5 kilometres, the pendulum for victory swung to the breakaway with the gap sitting at 10 seconds and only 30 riders were in the peloton. However, the breakaway was caught inside the final kilometre.

Philipsen was locked onto the wheel of Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) and overtook him in the closing metres to win by a bike length. Sam Welsford (Netcompany-Ineos) rounded out the podium.

The second edition of the Copenhagen Sprint began unevenly, with a breakaway of four riders quickly establishing a breakaway after a few kilometres. 

Inside the four-rider group were three Danes: Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla), Mads Andersen (Denmark), William Blume Levy (Uno-X Mobility), with the Belgian Rune Herregodts (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) completing the group.

The breakaway cooperated well and built up a maximum advantage of just under four minutes. 

Back in the peloton, the teams spreading the workload at the front of the peloton were Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, with defending champion Jordi Meeus in their colours, Alpecin-Premier Tech had Jasper Philipsen in the race, the Unibet Rose Rockets had Dylan Groenewegen and Soudal Quick-Step had Tim Merlier.

With 35 kilometres to go, the breakaway was still working ahead with a gap of 35 seconds, with the peloton content to let the breakaway push on and catch them on the final lap of the city centre circuit.

18 kilometres out from the line, there was a huge pile-up on the exit of a corner, which took out almost half of the peloton, which was being driven by a Decathlon CMA CGM train with Alpecin-Premier Tech as well.

Still, however, the breakaway was working well and had 23 seconds and the peloton was slim as a result of the pile-up and at the same time, the rain, all of a sudden, lashed down on the peloton.

Blume Levy, Herregodts, Andersen, and Foldager heard the bell for the final lap and had a margin of 14 seconds with 9 kilometres remaining, with the horsepower behind, predominantly Decathlon CMA CGM and the break could believe heading into the final 5 kilometres but they were caught in the final kilometre.

Jasper Philipsen was locked onto the wheel of Tobias Lund Andresen and overtook him in the closing metres to win by a bike length.