The degree 2 summit end at the Norefjell taken care of the Excursion of Scandinavia normal classification as Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ) gained the degree and now leads the race 8 seconds forward of Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Workforce) and 17 seconds forward of Greta Marturano (Fenix-Deceuninck).
However in contrast to the 2022 version, the place profitable at the Norefjell at the penultimate degree all however wrapped up the GC victory for Uttrup Ludwig, she should paintings arduous this 12 months so as to stay the yellow jersey on her shoulders.
Level 3 from Kongsberg to Larvik could also be rolling and feature an uphill completing instantly however isn’t anticipated to result in any vital time gaps.
After a ferry switch to Denmark, it’ll be the degree 4 person time trial in Herning that may come to a decision the GC. Probably the most unhealthy rival for the race chief is second-placed Van Vleuten, however there are different riders that may contend for the GC podium and can even threaten the yellow jersey.
Uttrup Ludwig is a good time trialist and has gained 3 Danish ITT titles previous in her profession, however a Van Vleuten in shape is on a unique stage: The 40-year-old Dutchwoman is the reigning Olympic ITT champion and gained the Global ITT Championships two times all the way through her illustrious profession. She and Uttrup Ludwig have confronted every different in time trials twelve instances earlier than, and every time Van Vleuten has completed the simpler end result.
The latest ITT for each riders used to be the Pau ITT that completed the Excursion de France Femmes. Neither Van Vleuten nor Uttrup Ludwig had been of their perfect form that day, however Van Vleuten nonetheless took about 2.5 seconds in step with kilometre at the Dane. Over the 16.5-kilometre direction in Herning, this may quantity to 41 seconds, simply sufficient to place Van Vleuten within the lead.
A bunch of eleven riders completed 31 seconds down on Uttrup Ludwig on the Norefjell and are actually 45 seconds at the back of in GC because of the time bonifications the Dane gathered on phases 1 and a couple of. Two of those 11, Olivia Baril (UAE Workforce ADQ) and Amber Kraak (Workforce Jumbo-Visma), carried out really well within the Pau ITT and can certainly threaten Marturano for the GC podium: Baril took 3.5 seconds in step with kilometre on Uttrup Ludwig in Pau, amounting to 58 seconds in Herning. Kraak nonetheless won 2.8 seconds in step with kilometre, equivalent to 46 seconds in Herning.
Ultimate however no longer least, there’s Uttrup Ludwig’s teammate Grace Brown. The Australian is 1:18 mins at the back of the GC chief after degree 2, however she may be one of the vital best possible time trialists within the ladies’s peloton, evidenced through her Worlds silver medal previous within the month and a fourth position within the Pau ITT in past due July.
Brown won 5 seconds in step with kilometre on Uttrup Ludwig within the Excursion de France Femmes ITT, which might quantity to one:22 mins over the 16.5-kilometre direction in Herning. On the Worlds ITT in Stirling, Brown won greater than six seconds in step with kilometre, equalling 1:40 mins in Herning.
With all this in thoughts, Uttrup Ludwig should put out one of the vital perfect ITT performances of her profession to stay the full lead. What performs in her favour is that she had handiest minor GC placings to journey for in Pau and used to be a long way off the highest 10 within the Worlds whilst she might be racing in her house nation on Saturday, dressed in the yellow chief’s jersey.
Each cases must give her further motivation, as will the truth that she used to be moment within the Eu U23 ITT championships in Herning in 2017, handiest 4 seconds at the back of her compatriot Pernille Mathiesen.
Having a look on the white jersey, Eglantine Rayer (Workforce DSM-Firmenich) has a four-second lead on Alena Ivanchenko (UAE Workforce ADQ) after degree 2. Alternatively, Ivanchenko gained the juniors’ Eu and Global ITT championships in 2021 and needs to be thought to be the favorite to guide the U23 classification after degree 4.
