TNN Celebrates Local Kid at PostNord Danmark Rundt Queen Stage

02 August 2018

Race: Tour of Denmark, PostNord Danmark Rundt, Stage 2

Start/Finish: Viborg/Vejle, Denmark

Distance: 172 kilometers

Vejle, Denmark —Team Novo Nordisk celebrated the PostNord Danmark Rundt queen stage by honoring 13-year-old Dane Thea Guldager as ”pro cyclist for the day” in thanks for her years of support.

Stage 2 began in Viborg and the day saw a high of nearly 28C. The first 10 kilometers on the 172-km stage started with a flurry of attacks, and when the race reached a small kicker, Chris Anker Sørensen (Riwal) and four other riders escaped.

The five-man group worked well until it reached the 5.7-km finishing circuit around Vejle with Anker Sørensen setting off solo. He was reeled in and with riders immediately launching counterattacks for the three finishing laps. On the final lap, Robin Carpenter (Rally Cycling) and Julius Johansen (ColoQuick) battled it around the hilly course, but Wout van Aert (Vérandas Willems-Crelan) powered past the duo at the line and took the win and the overall leader’s jersey.

The world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team continues racing at the PostNord Danmark Rundt on Friday with a 178.4-km stage that begins in Naestved and ends with three 5.4-km laps in Vordingborg.

Fabio Calabria

“I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 13—the same age Thea is today–and if I could have had role models like this team to look up to, it would have made things so much easier. I was fortunate that I had an excellent doctor, but I felt like I was dealing with uncharted territories at the time. Getting to see other people living and competing with diabetes so successfully would have given me a lot of encouragement in those early days.”