COPENHAGEN SPRINT 2025
Free to publish until: Thursday, 26 June at 18:00
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Contact:
Anders Kongshaug: anders@vnr.TV , +45 23103058 (urgent)
Copenhagen Region came together to host the inaugural UCI World Tour new classic for sprinters: Copenhagen Sprint.
Copenhagen lives and breathes cycling. With five times as many bicycles as cars and eight iconic bike bridges, the city has become a global symbol of mobility, sustainability, and lifestyle. One of these — Queen Louise’s Bridge — is officially the most-used bike bridge in the world, a daily parade of pedals and purpose.
“Copenhagen Sprint is a celebration of cycling and all the things that come with it: our pride, our values, and our everyday culture,” said Tine Eriksen Green, Event Manager at Copenhagen Municipality. “It’s about bringing people together, and welcoming the world’s top riders — men and women — to share in that love.”
The women’s and men’s races began in Roskilde, a city that was once the seat of Viking kings and today thrives as a cultural hub in Fjordland. The route wove through royal North Zealand, passing castles and lakes, into the beating heart of the capital.
Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, Morten Bødskov, recalled Denmark’s Grand Départ for the Tour de France:
“Those yellow days were unforgettable. But this is different — this is ours. With the sunshine, the crowds, and the stars back again, you feel the same magic — but rooted in Danish tradition.”
Alongside the races, para-cycling stood proudly in the spotlight. Emma Lund, Paralympic and World Champion, spoke movingly about visibility:
“The attention we get is so important for all disabled people. They need to see they can do more than doctors or systems often tell them they can.”
The animated route revealed two spectacular journeys: 181 km for the women, 235 km for the men — finishing with three and five laps, respectively, in the centre of Copenhagen. Streets transformed into arenas. The city’s rhythm became the race.
Women’s Race
The women led the way. Meis Poland, Britt De Grave, and April Tacey animated the early sprints along the fjord. Tacey broke away before being reeled in on the final approach. A crash on the cobbles raised tension. But at the line, it was Lorena Wiebes of Team SD Worx – Protime — the reigning world champion — who burst ahead.
“Racing here is something special. The city, the people — Denmark just has this energy,” she said.
Men’s Race
From Roskilde Cathedral, the men surged forward. A breakaway of five formed early: Jensen Plowright, Joshua Gudnitz, Victor Vercouillie, George Jackson, and Mads Andersen.
They had an unexpected companion — The Sea Stallion from Glendalough, the world’s longest reconstructed Viking ship, sailing alongside the peloton for 65 kilometres.
The race passed Fredensborg Palace, home of Queen Margrethe II, winding through landscapes protected by UNESCO and Danish law.
Plowright claimed the points sprint over Gudnitz, and the peloton, 150 metres behind, crossed Queen Louise’s Bridge to roaring cheers. Riders surged past the National Gallery, the Botanical Garden, and into five inner-city laps — a fast and furious mix of cobbles and curves.
The average speed topped 46.9 km/h (29 mph). With under 10 kilometres to go, a dramatic crash scattered the peloton. Fifty riders remained.
In a technical final curve, Jordi Meeus of Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe launched. He held off Alexis Renard and Emilien Jeannière in a breathless sprint to take victory.
“It was incredible. From start to finish, the crowds were everywhere,” Meeus said. “You can feel cycling lives in Denmark. This was special.”
His reward: a handcrafted Royal Copenhagen porcelain trophy, presented in the green park outside the National Gallery.
“It’s like a party,” said Michael Bjerring, a local fan. “The vibe reminds me of the Tour de France — so many people, so much pride.”
“The atmosphere is just wonderful,” added Anders Møller. “So many happy people, all brought together by cycling.”
Copenhagen Sprint revealed the very spirit of Denmark on two wheels. It was not just a race celebrating the sprinter, but a celebration of the rich bike culture that surrounds it — making this a truly unique new classic.
Copenhagen’s Midsummer Sprints will return in June 2026 — blending culture, speed, and soul in the world’s most bike-loving city.
END





SHOTLIST
All race footage:
Credit WBD Eurosport
- AERIAL COPENHAGEN (FRA SLUT WOMEN)
- BIKE BRIDGE SNAKE BRIDGE
- MANY CYCLISTS DRIVE BY, WITH COPENHAGEN SPRINT FLAG IN FOREGROUND
- SIGN SHOWING HOW MANY CYCLISTS HAVE PASSED BY
- SOUNDBITE: Tine Eriksen Green. Event manager at Copenhagen Municipality
“Copenhagen Sprint is a celebration of cycling and and is all about bringing together our cycling culture that we are super proud of and that so many of us take part in every single day, but also taking into it the opportunity to host, yet again, a world class cycling event for the best riders in the world and very importantly, this time, both the best female riders and the best male riders. So it’s all about the love for cycling.” - DRONE OF ROSKILDE HARBOUR
- TURISTINFO “Fjordlandet” BEING HANDED OUT
- BLUE RIBBON IS CUT
- SOUNDBITE Morten Bødskov, Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs
“There’s no doubt that the Grand Depart of the tour de France was very special. We had to three days here in Denmark in yellow. But if you look at the weather, if you look at the people, if you have a teams of look at the stars, that’s also here during the weekend, I’m sure that you will see many activities”. - HANDICAP FRIENDLY BIKES ARE USED ON THE STREETS
- EMMA LUND TALKS WITH PEOPLE AT THE PARACYCLING EVENT
- SOUNDBITE Emma Lund. paracycling. Olympic gold and World Champian, paracycling
“The attention we get, is so important for all the the disabled people, because they have to see that they can do a lot more stuff, that the doctors don’t tell them that they can do.” - CHILD TRIES OUT RUNNING BIKE
- MAP ANIMATION OF ROUTE FROM ROSKILDE TO COPENHAGEN
- BICYCLE START WOMEN
- SAILBOAT WITH BICYCLE LOGO ON IT
- WOMEN RIDERS PASS THROUGH GANLØSE WHILE THE CROWD CHEERS
- FREDERIKSBORG CASTLE
- SINGLE RIDER IS CHEERED ON BY CROWD
- HEAD OF THE RACE APRIL TRACY
- SOUNDBITE Emma Lund. paracycling. Olympic gold and World Champian, paracycling
- RIDERS IN YELLOW SHIRTS TAKE A SHARP TURN ON OLD STONE ROAD
- HELICOPTER SHOT OF FALLEN RIDER ON STONE ROAD
- WINNER CROSSING THE FINISHING LINE
- CLOSE UP OF WINNER
- SOUNDBITE WIEBES, Lorena:
“Yeah, I think it’s really nice to be here, and it’s always special to race in a city like this. Yeah, we are just really excited and also like, Yeah, I pretty much like Denmark.” - WINNER POSING ON PODIUM
- DRONE OF ROSKILDE DOMKIRKE
- NÆR “Fjordlandet” TOURISTINFO
- START MEN
- 5 RIDERS IN FRONT. (WBD Eurosport)
SIGN OM SCREEN:
Australian Jensen Plowright from and Alpecin-Deceuninck
Denmark Joshua Gudnitz from Team ColoQuick
Belgium Victor Vercouillie from Team Flanders-Baloise,
Denmark Mads Andersen from AIRTOX–Carl Ras
New Zealand George Jackson from Team Burgos-BH. - VIKING SHIP “Havhingsten”
- CROWDS CHEERING AT Town Sprint 1 in Frederikssund town (WBD Eurosport)
Five riders and Joshua Gudnitz from Team ColoQuick wins - The five break-out competed for points driving towards Fredensborg Palace – Denmark´s Queen Margrethe II ’s private residence. Spring and autumn residence, beautifully located by Lake Esrum in North Zealand. Known for its elegant white façade and peaceful gardens,
- DRONE ABOVE FREDENSBORG PALACE
- PELETON CROSS QUEEN LOUISE’S BRIDGE – THE BUSIEST BICYCLE BRIDGE IN THE WORLD (WBD Eurosport)
- PELOTON AT KGS HAVE , KINGS GARDEN (WBD Eurosport)
- AERIAL COPENHAGEN AREA WITH NATIONAL GALLERY, ROSENBORG CASTLE.
The National Gallery of Denmark.
Denmark’s largest art museum, located in central Copenhagen, houses a wide collection of Danish and international art from the Renaissance to contemporary works.
Rosenborg Castle.
It is a fairy-tale renaissance castle in the heart of Copenhagen in the early 1600s. It houses the Danish crown jewels. (WBD Eurosport) - MASSIVE CRASH IN THE PELOTON – 9.9 km /6.15 miles before the finish-line, At the National Gallery (WBD Eurosport)
- AERIAL THE SPRINT START (WBD Eurosport)
- SHARP CORNER AT SKT.HANS SQUARE, NØRREBRO (WBD Eurosport)
The Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, known for its cafés, creative energy, and everyday city life. - FINAL SPRINT. A GROUP OF 16 AND MORE SPRINTS. (WBD Eurosport)
WINNER JORDI MEEUS. BIKER RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE. BELGIUM. - SLOW MOTION WINNER JORDI MEEUS. BIKER RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE. BELGIUM. (WBD Eurosport)
- SOUNDBITE Jordi Meeus. WINNER Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. Belgium CONT.:
“Yes of course I am super happy I was coming here in the last minute. And i am really happy, that I can go home with a win”. - CEREMONY ON STAGE WITH BELGIUM’S JORDI MEEUS FROM RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE, THE WINNER OF THE FIRST COPENHAGEN SPRINT.
LEFT: ALEXIS RENARD OF COFIDIS (2ND PLACE)
RIGHT: EMILIEN JEANNIÈRE FROM TEAM TOTALENERGIES (3RD PLACE)
ALSO PRESENT: MINISTER MORTEN BØDSKOV, ATTENDING IN CONNECTION WITH THE CYCLING CONFERENCE (WBD Eurosport) - VOX-POP
Michael Bjerring, spectator:
“It’s amazing. It’s a nice little party. We have so many Danish riders that are great. So, you can hear the vibe, it’s beautiful. It’s like the Tour de France four years ago.” - Anders Møller, spectator:
“The atmosphere here is really great. A lot of people. A lot of happy people. It’s been wonderful”. - AMATEUR RIDERS CHEER AFTER RUN
- ICE CREAM WITH GREEN PISTACHIO NUTS
- TWO GUESTS ARE HANDED THE ICE CREAMS
- CLOSE ICE CREAM WITH GREEN PISTACHIO NUTS WITH TEXT “Copenhagen Sprint” ON THE ICE LOLLY.
- DRONE SHOT OF COPENHAGEN
- SOUNDBITE Jordi Meeus. WINNER Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. Belgium CONT.: