Paying The Danegeld ***Spoilers***

[No Ta Doctor]

In another place, another time, there was once a thread titled:

"The Vikings are coming! Be afraid. *possible spoilers* *definite pillaging *"

It was intended to serve as a warning that the Danish talent factory was producing some great talent you could expect to get beaten by at a race near you at some point soon. As the years wore on, and Mads P won a world championship, Asgreen took Flanders, TdF stages galore were won by multiple riders and not least, the Tour itself won by Vingegaard, it was necessary to re-title the thread:

"The Vikings are HERE! Be afraid. *possible spoilers* *definite pillaging *"

It's archived by the wayback machine here: https://web.archive.org/web/2025031...e-afraid-possible-spoilers-definite-pillaging

And now, in a new place, it falls to me - an adoptive Dane - to remind you all that The Dangeld still needs paying. I'll be updating this thread with regular raids, pillages, battles and victories, as well as the occasional bit of news about any up and coming Viking youngsters (and yes, you do all need to know the name Albert Withen Philipsen). You should also know the name Gustav Wang, but that's at least partially for comedic purposes, and no, he's never ridden Madison with compatriot Frederik Muff.

Note: Only Danes are considered true Vikings here. We are of the opinion that Knud the Great had it right, Norway is just a bit of Northern Denmark.

To avoid obvious spoilers I'll usually try to update a day or so late, if I can be bothered at all - I've gotten quite blase with it now that all your races are belong to us.

Alternative thread title: Danish Dynamite - Magnus Cort's Helicopter Eye View

 

[mididoctors]

Mads has gone up a tier ..I'll give you that

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Yes, I think he probably has. He went on the hunt for green jersey points in the final stage of Paris-Nice yesterday, attacking on a descent and then staying away for 80km - largely solo - to claim the stage bonus sprint at the top of Col d'Èze (this sort of thing is why sprinters rarely win the green jersey in P-N!). That done he could safely soft pedal home with the green jersey secure, except that in the last few km of Col d'Èze he'd come to an arrangement with eventual stage winner Magnus Sheffield to trade the sprint points for working for him up to the final climb of the day. So he did, only slipping him on the Col des Quatre Chemins with the GC race closing on them.

It was an impressive display of Mads in beast mode, and combined with his stage win and the top ten on a mountain stage he's looking in good shape for MSR at the weekend and the cobbles afterwards.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

It's a mark of where the Vikings have got to that 6th (Cort) and 7th (Mads P)in Milan-Sanremo wasn't worthy of comment, other than that Mads must have had an off day (he'd been ill after P-N). It was a decent result for Magnus Cort though, and earned Uno-X some very valuable UCI points.

As for Mads... 2nd to MvdP in E3 and then winning Gent-Wevelgem with an impressive 56km solo ride is formidable form heading toward Flanders and Roubaix. G-W was his 50th pro win, and his third win at Gent-Wevelgem, putting him in a pretty elite club:

 

[No Ta Doctor]

With a second place in the Ronde Mads P is now the current rider with most top tens but no wins in Monuments. He'll be wanting to hand the title back to Mathews by winning Paris-Roubaix this weekend, and his form is scary.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Will drop this Mads P interview classic F-bomb here as well as the Ronde race thread

 

[M.R.M]

He is the best interview in sports. Honest, charming & funny.

 

[AndyATB]

Don't forget Annika Langvad has come out of retirement, and having a baby to win the Cape Epic, for the umpteenth time. And Simon Andreassen is the current XC Marathon World Champion.

(There's also a few top Canadians who are of Danish stock if I remember rightly).