Cycling can be a multidisciplinary sport in some aspects, with champions who have arrived in cycling after having a successful career in other disciplines. There's the case of Primoz Roglic who was previously a ski jumper, or Remco Evenepoel who left football and playing fields to become a cyclist, and also those like Kasper Asgreen who left horseback riding to get on a bike. We also have examples of those coming from swimming or cross-country skiing; in short, cycling is a sport that doesn't take offense and leaves its doors open to everyone. Obviously, there have also been those who went from cycling to football, like Merijn Zeeman who after winning everything with his Jumbo-Visma, then decided to become a manager at AZ Alkmaar, a well-known Dutch football team.

In Denmark, there is now a new transition from football to cycling, but it's not about a footballer who decided to race bikes, but rather former Super League player Niels Bo Daugaard, who after playing for Ikast and AGF in the Superliga, will be the new CEO of the Danish Cycling Federation, or Danmarks Cykle Union. Just yesterday, Danish media reported that Niels Bo Daugaard will be at the head of the DCU and will take over from Jens-Erik Majlund on Monday. Denmark is experiencing perhaps its golden period in cycling, not only thanks to Jonas Vingegaard's victories but also due to other riders who are revolutionizing cycling.

In 2024, 25 Danish riders raced in the World Tour and among these, besides Vingegaard, there are athletes of the caliber of Mads Pedersen, Mattias Skjelmose, Kasper Asgreen, and Magnus Cort, just to name a few. Without a doubt, Denmark in the global cycling landscape is one of the countries that has made the most progress and looking at the successes achieved in recent years, there is a world championship title, two Tour de France wins, Monument Classics, and stage victories in all three grand tours - it is undoubtedly one of the most successful nations. Niels Bo Daugaard will have an important role in the Danish cycling federation and in addition to having carte blanche regarding sponsorships, which in Denmark practically cover all expenses incurred by the national team, he will have the task of continuing to grow cycling.

"To continue to grow a modern association and the commercial opportunities that derive from it, it is necessary to respect the traditions and strong values of the association," said Niels Bo Daugaard. "The DCU must welcome both the elite and the young, because in community and cohesion there is a very special strength. We will continue to work and grow grassroots cycling to produce the champions of tomorrow."

In Denmark, everyone has enthusiastically welcomed Niels Bo Daugaard's arrival and it doesn't matter that he comes from the world of football, because the Danes have confidence and are certain that in their land, many young people will continue to grow and train who in the future can follow in the footsteps of riders like Vingegaard, Pedersen, and Fuglsang. It is not even excluded that among the DCU's projects there might be creating a team that can help develop young riders, following the Uno X model, until reaching World Tour registration.