As the car closes in on 30 kilometers from Copenhagen, the Tour’s atmosphere already breathes through the streets. At this point, the opening act of the French Grand Depart unfolds with a flair born of history and spectacle. Signs invite drivers to park and approach the city by train, giving fans a rare chance to reach the closest exit to the North Pole where the Grande Boucle has ever touched the ice of the Arctic wind.
The Tour possesses a kind of magic. It is the sport’s flagship event, free to watch, with no admission fee required to glimpse the stars in competition. Even in Copenhagen, where the race slips into daily life, the city of more than six hundred thousand residents feels the pull of the cycling spectacle. Pedaling seems to move the city in its own rhythm, a living machine alongside ordinary life.
Gazing skyward or down the streets, spectators understand that a handful of French spectators will likely ignite the day’s mood tomorrow. The city will feel reshaped, as if a NATO summit convened in running shoes, and among the contenders stands Tadej Pogacar, a dominant presence who has earned comparisons to a leading political figure on a bike.
Riders received the guests in the famed Tivoli Park square on Wednesday, a ceremonial moment in which teams for the three major tours are introduced. Images of the days to come flickered in the minds of the racers during the early week, as if the road book handed to every participant already suggested the path ahead and promised the drama that would unfold on Danish soil.
WE ARE GOING TO THE TEAM PRESENTATION #Brothers group pic.twitter.com/qrXE1qfnq6
— BORA-hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) 29 June 2022
The opening ride through Copenhagen offers a fast, scenic tour among city monuments that remain inaccessible to riders moving at more than 50 kilometers per hour. The race soon evolves into a classic format, with seven stages that mix a time trial, a sea-bridge wind-blown route, a sprint, the Calais climbs, the Paris-Roubaix cobbles near Luxembourg, a rendezvous with a steep incline, and a mountain test near Luxembourg Planche des Belles Filles featuring a final 24 percent ramp.
The race is played here
On these streets, the race is decided. The contenders in the spotlight are Pogacar, his principal rival Primoz Roglic, and the ever-present Jonas Vingegaard, who finished second in Paris a year prior. Also in the mix is Enric Mas, one of a nine-strong Spanish contingent, gearing up to press his claim for the affection of his fans and his own ambition to stand atop the podium.
During the opening week, at least through the Planche des Belles Filles, the narrative is clear: two more weeks will reveal the Alps with Granon and Alpe d’Huez, followed by the Pyrenees at Peyragudes and Hautacam, culminating in a final 40-kilometer time trial that could seal the fate of the race. Yet there are still 25 days ahead, a world that will keep pedaling through the memories of the Grande Boucle as the Tour continues to unfold in Copenhagen and beyond. [citation]
As the car nears the city again, a sense of anticipation lingers in the air. The Tour’s presence in Copenhagen has already left a mark, weaving itself into the fabric of a city that moves with the rhythm of the pack. The opening week promises drama, endurance, and the relentless pursuit of supremacy that defines grand tours. [citation]
WE ARE GOING TO THE TEAM PRESENTATION #Brothers group pic.twitter.com/qrXE1qfnq6
— BORA-hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) 29 June 2022
The opening stages along the capital’s streets reveal a show that blends tourism with sport, where monuments loom in the background and the race demands precision. The route includes a time trial that tests speed and endurance, a windy passage over the sea bridge, a high-stakes sprint, the hilly sections around Calais, the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix near Luxembourg, and demanding climbs culminating near Planche des Belles Filles with a brutal 24 percent ascent. The sequence sets the tone for a race that will be remembered for its variety, its tactical depth, and its ability to turn cities into stages. [citation]
The race is played here
The battle lines are drawn here, with all eyes on Pogacar, Roglic, and Vingegaard as the main protagonists. Enric Mas remains a potential spoiler, aiming to break through after a Tour that began with a compact field of Spanish riders. The opening seven days, plus the two additional weeks of alpine and pyrenean drama, will decide who carries the memory of Copenhagen into the final confrontations. The Grande Boucle lives on in the city as long as the riders keep turning the pedals and the story continues to unfold before the crowd. [citation]