Tour de France: Bridge crossing chaos in Denmark

Tour de France could come with some additional challenges this year, with strong winds to start in Denmark this weekend.

After kicking off with a soggy time trial in Copenhagen on Friday to open cycling’s most famous race, the Tour de France continues through the rest of Denmark over the weekend.

The route begins from Roskilde to Nyborg on Saturday July 2nd, with a staggering distance of 202.5km to complete in one day.

The sun will be shining and it’ll be dry with temperatures climbing to 21-22C, but that won’t be the only climb during the day.

Whilst the route itself is largely flat, in order to reach the day’s destination of Nyborg, the colossal Great Belt Bridge requires crossing, and it won’t come without challenge.

Brisk winds will be blowing from the south-west, with gusts around 20mph at the surface. Along the first portion of the bridge, this will act as a crosswind, threatening difficult biking conditions.

During the second portion, the bridge changes orientation slightly, so winds become more head on.

With the bridge sat at a height of around 70m, wind speeds can easily be 50% more powerful at bridge height, than surface level.

The route takes place from Vejle (The Kingdom of Cycling) to Sønderborg, with a grand distance of 182km. Though this should be a piece of cake in comparison to the previous day’s 202km.

It will be another warm day beneath plenty of sunshine, with the mercury rising to 22-24C.

A little patchy cloud looks to build, with the chance of some showers arriving by early evening. However, bikers should arrive just in time to beat the rain.

Keep your eyes peeled for any other dramatic weather that may take place during the France leg throughout July.