Kasper Asgreen’s Tour de France win puts him ‘back where he belongs’ after year of illness
Dane dedicates win to those that helped him recover from fatigue syndrome
![Kasper Asgreen celebrates after stage 18 win at Tour de France 2023](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/feYDddU38A6iwhahXpDTP6-415-80.jpg)
Kasper Asgreen spent the majority of the 164km Tour de France stage to Bourg-en-Bresse off the front of the peloton with only three other breakaway companions for company, but his journey to a stand-out career victory had been much longer.
The Dane outsprinted his breakaway companions as the bunch bore down on them in the finishing straight, the sprinters coming agonizingly close to contesting the win.
But 12 months ago Asgreen had abandoned the Tour de France before the halfway mark suffering the effects of a crash at the Tour de Suisse in June when he hurt his knee. To make matters worse, just a month later he had to cut his season short with “fatigue syndrome”.
At the time his Soudal-Quick-Step team said: "The stresses of the crash and the subsequent attempts to get him ready for the Tour has unfortunately led to Kasper developing a fatigue syndrome, meaning that his body is no longer recovering from even low intensity efforts."
He eventually returned to competition in January this year and gave flashes of his old self winning the Danish national time trial title last month.
This afternoon after racking up a maiden Tour stage in the French sun, he said: “This victory is really for all the people who helped me out during the last year to come back to my old level. This victory proves that I’m back where I belong.”
The Tour of Flanders winner declined to go into much detail about his recovery but said that “some really good people” had “put a lot of effort” into getting him back to winning ways.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“I felt since Paris-Roubaix that the body was starting to finally react like normal again,” he said. “The last couple of weeks before the Tour I felt like the legs and the body were back to my normal level and to crown it with a victory in the Tour is really nice.”
Asgreen’s win removes the cloud from above his Soudal - Quick-Step team’s Tour. The classics powerhouse has not gone winless at the Tour since 2012.
“Obviously it’s important for our team like ours to come away with a victory we have a long history of doing that. It’s been I don’t know how many years since we left the Tour without a victory, so I’m very happy we’re not going to be doing that,” said Agreen.
He said he suspected that the break might survive today as the final week of the Tour can often prove just how tired all the legs in the peloton are behind. It’s a situation he said he had been on the other end of “quite a few times”.
“When we have had some hard stages everyone can go the same speed but not many people can go much faster so it can be difficult to catch a small group,” he said.
The road back to the top step of the podium may have been long, but Asgreen’s form and quality being what it is, the road to more wins looks quite a bit shorter.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Having trained as a journalist at Cardiff University I spent eight years working as a business journalist covering everything from social care, to construction to the legal profession and riding my bike at the weekends and evenings. When a friend told me Cycling Weekly was looking for a news editor, I didn't give myself much chance of landing the role, but I did and joined the publication in 2016. Since then I've covered Tours de France, World Championships, hour records, spring classics and races in the Middle East. On top of that, since becoming features editor in 2017 I've also been lucky enough to get myself sent to ride my bike for magazine pieces in Portugal and across the UK. They've all been fun but I have an enduring passion for covering the national track championships. It might not be the most glamorous but it's got a real community feeling to it.
-
Unbound Gravel lottery opens two months early, ensuring riders are 'more prepared than ever'
Registration for the 2025 Unbound Gravel will open on Friday, November 1, 2024, and close two weeks later, on November 15. Lottery winners will be announced on November 21, 2024.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Star triathlete Taylor Knibb to take on world's fastest cyclists in the Olympic time trial
Colorado-based 26-year-old Taylor Knibb will be representing Team USA in both the individual time trial and triathlon at the Paris Olympics.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
Tadej Pogačar broke 288 Strava KOMs during Tour de France victory
Slovenian won his third Tour title in Nice last weekend, and picked up a host of new trophies on Strava
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Primož Roglič reveals he suffered back fracture in Tour de France crash
Slovenian abandoned race after being caught up in crash on stage 12, Vuelta a España participation now in doubt
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
It's time to stop expecting so much of Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France
The British team are always under pressure to match their past best, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon
By Adam Becket Published
-
'A bigger result than winning': Jonas Vingegaard hails second place at the Tour de France
It turns out second place is not always 'first loser'
By James Shrubsall Published
-
'Even if I never come back to the Tour de France I will be satisfied': Tadej Pogačar revels in third victory
Three Tour de France wins before turning 26, the Giro-Tour double, the suggestion of a triple crown. Records tumble for the Slovenian
By Adam Becket Published
-
Remco Evenepoel: No one should doubt me anymore
The Tour de France's third-placed finisher suggests that he will have to reduce his time trial work if he is to beat Tadej Pogačar
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Tadej Pogačar: 'There will always be doubts... but cycling is the cleanest sport'
Tour de France champion addresses critics, saying it would be "super stupid" to dope
By Adam Becket Published
-
How Tadej Pogačar created history and won the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double
A journey that was supposedly fraught with risk and uncertainty was anything but for Giro d'Italia and Tour de France victor Tadej Pogačar
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published