Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen wins crash-marred sprint finale in Denmark as Van Aert seals GC

Wout van Aert safely secured the general classification, earning the fourth stage race victory of his career and his second overall title at the Tour of Denmark.

The final stage was shaped by a large breakaway that built a significant advantage over the peloton. Although a bunch sprint had been widely expected, the strength of the riders at the front gave the move a genuine chance of succeeding.

Tibor Del Grosso of Alpecin-Premier Tech, Jakob Söderqvist of Lidl-Trek and Niklas Larsen of Unibet Rose Rockets were among the most prominent riders in the breakaway.

Behind them, Visma | Lease a Bike took responsibility for the chase and gradually reduced the gap. The breakaway was eventually caught with ten kilometres remaining, setting up the anticipated sprint finish, despite several late attacks from riders hoping to surprise the fast men.

Visma continued to control the race inside the final ten kilometres, while Uno-X Mobility and Alpecin also moved towards the front.

The pace intensified inside the final three kilometres as the sprint teams fought for position.

Jensen Plowright of Alpecin was the first rider to launch his sprint, but the Australian was quickly passed by Danish national champion Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen. The Decathlon CMA CGM rider held his speed to the line and finished ahead of Tom Crabbe of Flanders Baloise.

Pedersen’s victory was overshadowed by a severe crash in the finale, which brought down more than half of the peloton.

Van Aert appeared ready to contest the sprint, but he became boxed in and ultimately sat up, allowing the sprint to unfold without him.