With a decisive finish decided only by photo finish, Wout van Aert (Visma Lease a Bike) secured the first group sprint of the PostNord Tour of Denmark 2026. Initially credited with second place behind Jensen Plowright, the Belgian was awarded the victory on replay for his second consecutive win in the short Scandinavian stage race where, after today's success achieved ahead of the Australian from Alpecin-Premier Tech, Toon Aerts (Lotto Intermarchè) and Giovanni Lonardi (at his best placement since the second place he achieved in the final stage of last May's Giro d'Italia), he is increasingly the leader of the general classification.

THE RACE

Unlike what happened yesterday, the breakaway today takes just over twenty kilometers to form. It consists of Nikolaj Mengel (AIRTOX - Carl Ras), Otto Schultz Jølving and the polka dot jersey Sebastian Nielsen (Team Coloquick), Aksel Bech Skot-Hansen (Team Give Steel), Gustav Wang (Denmark), Hjalmar Klyver (Lucky Sport Team) and Samuele Zoccarato (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort) who, cooperating constructively, manage to reach nearly five minutes of advantage.

Behind, at this point, Visma Lease a Bike, Unibet Rose Rockets and Lidl-Trek increase the pace with the aim of beginning to trim the gap with respect to the leaders who, after contesting the flying sprint at Thise (1st Mengel) and the second category climb at Hjerk (1st Skot-Hansen), arrive with less than three minutes at the 75-kilometer mark to the finish.

Here, aided by strong wind and the violent attack from Uno-X Mobility, a gap opens in the group that splits the peloton in two and for about fifteen kilometers gives the race very uncertain characteristics. The lack of cooperation in the first section, however, means that around 60 kilometers from the finish, the situation behind the fugitives (now 1'25" ahead) becomes compact again and the chase resumes in a linear manner.

After passing the flying sprint with bonuses at Dommerby (won by Wang) and with the group 40 seconds from the head of the race, 30 kilometers from the finish Zoccarato forces the situation ahead, selecting the group of attackers which, strong with five elements (besides the Italian, Nielsen, Wang, Skot-Hansen and Jølving), enters with 29 seconds into the final circuit at Skive.

Immediately, on the 700-meter climb valid as a second category climb, the small group ahead thins out further on the initiative of polka dot jersey Nielsen who, hunting for points, flies off in company with Skot-Hansen, momentarily dropping the other companions of adventure. Behind them, while Wang and Jølving rejoin the leading pair, the group is not idle either, with Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSD 7 Saber), Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto Intermarchè) and the usual Matias Malmberg (Swatt Club) catching up to Zoccarato and then all together rejoining the quartet at the front.

The eight proceed compactly until the second passage on the only climb of the final circuit where Nielsen and Zoccarato raise the white flag, being replaced at the front by a courageous Henri Uhlig (Alpecin-Premier Tech) who manages to join the riders in the breakaway just before Marcellusi and Taminiaux attack as a pair, distancing the other six.

The group, however, is now on their heels and 6,500 meters from the line brings back into the ranks even the last two men in the breakaway, thus preparing the ground for a group sprint which, after neutralizing within the last kilometer the finishing move from Alexander Kamp (Uno-X Mobility) and Fran Munoz (Polti VisitMalta), is won with a lightning sprint by van Aert, skillful in the final meters in repelling the incredible comeback of Jensen Plowright who, after finding the right gap, came within a hair's breadth of burning him with his acceleration.

In this way the Belgian (at his 55th career victory) also pocketed another ten seconds of bonus which, combined with those from yesterday, allowed him to consolidate his leadership in the general classification where he now leads with fourteen seconds over Lukáš Kubiš (tenth in the sprint despite the excellent work in the launch phase carried out by his teammates in Unibet Rose Rockets colors) and sixteen over Henrik Pedersen (Uno-X Mobility).

FINISHING ORDER

1. Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) 3:59:41

2. Jensen Plowright (Alpecin - Premier Tech) s.t.

3. Toon Aerts (Lotto Intermarchè) s.t.

4. Giovanni Lonardi (Team Polti VisitMalta) s.t.

5. Carl-Frederik Bévort (Uno-X Mobility) s.t.

6. Enrico Zanoncello (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) s.t.

7. Max Walscheid (Lidl-Trek) s.t.

8. Ben Oliver (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) s.t.

9. Matys Grisel (Lotto Intermarchè) s.t.

10. Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Rose Rockets) s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) 8:10:10

2. Lukáš Kubiš (Unibet Rose Rockets) +0:14

3. Henrik Pedersen (Uno-X Mobility) +0:16

4. Pier-André Côté (NSN Cycling Team) +0:20

5. Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl - Trek) +0:20

6. Tomáš Kopecký (Unibet Rose Rockets) +0:20

7. Christophe Laporte (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:20

8. Søren Kragh Andersen (Lidl - Trek) +0:20

9. Gustav Wang (Denmark) +0:29

10. Jensen Plowright (Alpecin - Premier Tech) +0:31

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points classification: Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

Mountains classification: Sebastian Nielsen (Team ColoQuick)

Best young rider classification: Henrik Pedersen (Uno-X Mobility)

Photo credit: PostNord Tour of Denmark