It’s no secret that Danish and Slovenian riders have had quite some fights in the years. This made me want to take a closer look at how many races Danish riders would have won in the recent years if if it weren’t for those "annoyingly talented" Slovenians.
I will start by taking a look at how much glory the Slovenians have stolen from one single Dane—Jonas Vingegaard. After that, I will look at what victories other Danes have missed out on due the Slovenians.
2021
Jonas Vingegaard had his breakthrough in 2021 with a second-place finish at the Tour, where he was behind a certain Slovenian. He could have also secured two stage wins if it weren't for this Slovenian superstar, as Jonas finished second to him on stages 17 and 18.
Additionally, earlier that year, Vingegaard came in second at Itzulia Basque Country, once again behind a Slovenian—this time, it was his then-teammate Primoz Roglic
2022
In 2022, Jonas got the better of Tadej Pogacar at the Tour 👏, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t miss out on any wins due to Slovenians. First, regarding the Tour, Jonas came in 2nd to Pogacar on two stages, bringing the total to four stages he could have won if it weren't for the Slovenian. Jonas also missed out on the win in the 2.1 race Cro Race, where he finished 2nd in the GC behind Matej Mohoric, losing by a single second.
Looking back to that same year, Jonas placed 2nd in the Criterium du Dauphine behind his Slovenian teammate Primoz Roglic. He also finished as the runner-up behind a Slovenian in another one-week WorldTour race, coming 2nd to Pogacar at Tirreno-Adriatico. Additionally, he was 2nd behind Pogacar on two stages at the Italian race.
2023
In 2023, Jonas was once again victorious at the Tour 🥳, but just like in 2022, that didn’t mean he didn’t miss out on victories to Slovenians. Luckily, it wasn't as many as the previous year. In 2023, Jonas only missed out on three victories: Stage 6 at the Tour and Stage 8 at Paris-Nice, both behind Pogacar aswell as stage 17 at La Vuelta where he and teammate Primoz Roglic left their teammate and race leader Sepp Kuss behind on the steep Angliru climb which in the end turned into a Slovenian win and a danish 2nd place.
2024
In 2024, the tables turned once again, and Pogacar emerged victorious at the Tour de France. His victory came after Jonas's horrific crash three months prior, where he broke several ribs, his collarbone, and suffered a collapsed lung. Tadej Pogacar, on the other hand, showed up to the Tour in the shape of his life, hungry for victory after being defeated twice in a row. He claimed the overall win as well as six stages! In four of those stages, Jonas finished second, bringing his total to 9 second-place finishes on Tour de France stages behind Slovenians.
Other Danes loosing to Slovenians.....
Not only Jonas has missed out on victories due to Slovenians, so lets take a look at other missed victories
2021
In 2021, Magnus Cort had an amazing Vuelta, claiming no less than three stage wins. He was only 14 seconds from claiming a fourth stage victory in the Stage 21 time trial, but he had to settle for second place behind GC winner Primoz Roglic.
2022
In 2022, it was Mads Pedersen who was the flying Dane at the Vuelta. Like Cort, he won three stages, and he would also have won a fourth if it had not been for Primoz Roglic, who won Stage 4 ahead of him.
2023
In 2023, no other Danes had a Vuelta stage win "stolen from them." However, Kasper Asgreen came close to winning Stage 19 of the Tour de France from a breakaway after already taking the win on Stage 18. In the end, though, Matej Mohoric got the better of him in the sprint, beating him by a few millimeters.
Not long after the Tour, it was time for the World Championships in Glasgow. Here, the Slovenians did not "steal" a victory from a Danish rider; however, Tadej Pogacar did beat Mads Pedersen in the sprint for bronze after a long and intense race.
Earlier in 2023, Mattias Skjelmose was also beaten by Pogacar, finishing second in Flèche Wallonne behind the Slovenian.
2024
In 2024, the Slovenians have luckily not "stolen" many victories from Danish riders, apart from Jonas Vingegaard. However, they did miss out on a win when Danish champion Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen finished second behind Matevz Govekar on Stage 6 of the Tour of Britain
So lets take a look at how many races the the Danes could have won if Slovenian results dissapeared.
Overview:
So that makes 22 World Tour, two non-world Tour wins and a World championships medal, and maybe even more that i have overlooked
Let’s just say that the Danes could have enjoyed a lot more glory if it weren’t for the Slovenians. However, without the battles, the rivalry, and the drive to improve when facing defeat, the sport of cycling wouldn’t be the same.
Thank you so much for reading along! I hope you enjoyed this look at the rivalry between Danish and Slovenian riders over the years. If you think I’ve overlooked any important moments or want to share your thoughts on the rivalry, feel free to reach out—I’d love to hear your perspective.
Maybe next time I’ll flip the script and explore how many victories the Danes have "stolen" from the Slovenians! Until then, happy offseason! 🚴♂️💨
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