Tour of Denmark 2026: five stages, seven WorldTour teams, and the return of Van Aert

Just three days after the end of the Tour de France, the cycling calendar is back in action with the Tour of Denmark 2026, which takes place from July 29 to August 2. The Danish round, of UCI ProSeries category, presents a route without major mountain passes, but with very nervous stages and a broken terrain that usually offers very open races.

Preview of the PostNord Tour of Denmark 2026: Wout van Aert returns and Vejle will decide the classification

The main reference of the route will be the third stage, between Fredericia and Vejle (202.6 km). With more than 2,500 meters of elevation gain and a demanding final circuit full of hills, it is expected to be the decisive day for the general classification. The rest of the route offers opportunities for both sprinters and explosive riders capable of overcoming selective finishes.

Wout van Aert returns to compete

The main focus will be on the return of Wout van Aert. The Belgian from Visma Lease a Bike will reappear after missing the Tour de France due to an elbow injury and will use the Danish round as preparation for the Vuelta a España, which starts on August 22.

Van Aert already knows what it is to win this race, but he arrives after several weeks without competing, so one of the big unknowns will be to check his form.

Lidl-Trek, the main rival

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Although Van Aert captures much of the attention, Lidl-Trek probably presents the strongest team in the race. The American team will feature Jakob Söderqvist, winner this year of the Tour of Hungary, in addition to the experienced Søren Kragh Andersen.

We will also have to closely follow Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Corbin Strong and Riley Sheehan (NSN Cycling), Anders Foldager, Rasmus Tiller, Lukas Kubis, and Matyas Kopecky, in a notably stronger participation than in previous years, with seven WorldTour teams at the start.

The 2026 edition will feature seven WorldTour teams at the start, including Visma Lease a Bike, Lidl-Trek, Alpecin-Premier Tech, Lotto-Intermarché, Picnic PostNL, NSN Cycling, and Uno-X Mobility.

Five stages and where to watch

• Stage 1 (July 29): Aalborg – Aalborg (197.6 km)
• Stage 2 (July 30): Glyngøre – Skive (179 km)
• Stage 3 (July 31): Fredericia – Vejle (202.6 km)
• Stage 4 (August 1): Rudkøbing – Funen (177.5 km)
• Stage 5 (August 2): Køge – Rødovre (133.2 km)

The PostNord Tour of Denmark 2026 can be followed live through HBO Max and Eurosport, which will offer the complete broadcast of the five stages.

With a route designed for complete riders and a very demanding queen stage, the PostNord Tour of Denmark 2026 presents itself as an ideal event to measure the form of several important names before the final stretch of the season, with the return of Van Aert as the main attraction.