What to expect from Le Tour's Danish Grand Depart

The 109th Tour De France is just around the corner and the race is headed to Denmark, with the streets of Copenhagen the location for The Grand Depart.

The 109th edition of the Tour de France will hold its Grand Depart in Denmark. Credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images

After a 12-month delay, the Tour de France is headed the furthest north the race has ever been in its history, as the Grand Depart begins with a time trial around the streets of Copenhagen.

Denmark’s Grand Depart was originally set to take place in 2021 before the start was moved to Brittany due to COVID-19, so there is huge anticipation among Danish cycling fans.

Stage 1, on July 1 will be a rare Friday start for the Tour de France with an Individual Time Trial which will race around the streets of Copenhagen while stages 2 and 3 will take the peloton across scenic Danish country and cross the Belt Strait from Zealand to Funen.

It is set to be an exciting start to the 2022 Tour de France and an incredible showcase of Denmark and Danish cycling culture.

What to expect from the Tour de France in Denmark

Stage 1 - Copenhagen to Copenhagen (13km) - Friday, July 1

For the first time in five years, the Tour de France starts with a time trial and this one will be a day for the specialists who excel on the flat roads.

A short, non-hilly and mostly non-technical test around the streets of Copenhagen, this stage promises to fast and frenetic in pace.

While the race is almost never won and lost on the first stage, it is an opportunity for riders to make an early statement which could set them up for much deeper in the race.

Broadcast:

23:50 - 03:30 (AEST) on SBS and SBS On Demand

Stage 2 - Roskilde to Nyborg (199km) - Saturday, July 2

The early road stages of the tour are traditionally ridden at a fast pace, making for a nervous day in the bunch.

The sprinters' teams will be determined to reel in the breakaway while GC contenders will be looking to get to the end without any incidents.

50 kilometres of roads open to strong crosswinds could affect the peloton long before it even reaches Storebælsbroen, the majestic 18km-long bridge across the Great Belt that connects eastern Denmark to its west.

If the winds pick up across the Belt Strait it could be pure panic in the peloton.

Broadcast:

20:30 - 01:30 (AEST) on SBS and SBS On Demand

Stage 3 - Velje to Sønderborg (182km) - Sunday, July 3

One for the breakaway, beginning in the hills of Vejle and featuring three categorised climbs - Koldingvej, Hejlsminde Strand, and Genner Strand - before the final 60 kilometres set up a bunch sprint.

Broadcast:

21:30 - 01:30 (AEST) on SBS and SBS On Demand