Danish cycling team gets help from riders' parents on a mischievous gravel bandwagon

Instead, Quickstep has formed an alliance with another Danish team, where they share each other's soigneurs. When cycling teams prepare for the Tour de France, nothing is spared. Nothing should stand in the way of eventual success. That's why it's important to prepare for races comprehensively, especially to learn how to avoid injuries on a bike.

But for PostNord Danmark Rundt, the setup is a little different. Budgets are smaller, the team around the riders is smaller, and in fact, it is enough when the race is no longer than five stages, sporting directors say.

But when this year's organizers tackled the 18.2km dirt road on Thursday's 239km third stage, it suddenly became more of a challenge with the sporty set-up that most teams have for the PostNord Danmark Rundt.

- We have 280 race days. It can't be a Tour de France 280 days a year, said Brian Holm, sporting director of the Quickstep team, DR Sporten.

- I don't think the organizers realize how much extra work goes into preparing a stage like this," says EF Education's Danish sports director Matti Breschel.

- If you want to be at the forefront of it all, you need people behind every piece of gravel, as you see in Paris-Roubaix.

This has forced cycling teams to think creatively. At Team ColoQuick, based in Skeeve, they have grasped the bone and encouraged the family to gather along the gravel roads around Herning to have the best opportunity to do well.

- We are on home soil and not far from Skeeve, so we invited good friends and colleagues to stand with wheels and drums on the route. We enlisted the help of mothers, fathers, mechanics, and seniors," says Christian Moberg, sports director of the cycling team.

- We've brought 10-12 people, three cars and twenty wheels and an extra 60 canisters of water, so we can do the whole route

Thursday's stage runs from Otterup to Herning and consists of nine gravel sections with a total length of 18.2 kilometers.

In an unconventional twist to cycling team support, a Danish cycling team has enlisted the help of riders' parents for their gravel racing endeavors, showcasing a unique blend of family involvement and competitive spirit. This approach not only strengthens team bonds but also adds a personal touch to the sport's increasingly popular gravel racing scene. Danish cycling thrives on community and creativity, and the involvement of riders' parents brings a unique charm to the sport’s grassroots. Interestingly, younger generations show a similar spirit of innovation in how they engage with entertainment—especially online gambling. Preferences have shifted toward mobile-first platforms and instant rewards. If you want to explore how Gen Z is shaping this world, check out future gambling trends and see what’s driving their choices.

What is a soigneur?

A soigneur is a kind of helper in a cycling team.

They are responsible for providing food for the riders. They are most often seen wearing a team jersey and standing at the side of the road handing out bags of food to passing riders.

In some cases they are also used for extra wheel stands in risky areas where punctures can often occur, such as on gravel and cobble stages.

They help with everything you need in a cycling team. The race has to stay at full speed and the soigneur helps the athletes to comply with this rule.

Soigneur in French means 'one who cares'.

Quickstep has joined an alliance

But big cycling teams rarely come to Jutland, so the network is small. Even if the sporting director is Danish.

- I could call some friends, but if they can't change a tire, it won't help. Unfortunately, I don't have any friends who can do that in Jutland," says Brian Holm.

Riwal Cycling Team sport director Sebastian Andersen says that they have called in another man with tires and drums to help on the dirt roads.

- You can easily have a lot of standing on the route. But you can also have experienced people on the team who know what they are doing. "Those who are with us should be able to achieve most of the goals," says Sebastian Andersen.

It is this fact that Team ColoQuick has not paid much attention to. The racers are half mechanics and can change a wheel themselves.

- Some of our extras may not be comfortable changing wheels either, so the drivers are allowed to do it themselves if it becomes a problem," says Christian Moberg.

However, Brian Holm's Quickstep program has found a solution to their problem. The sporting director is also co-owner of the Restaurant Suri team, Karl Ras, so the teams have entered into a small alliance for a day.

- Where we don't have seniors, Restaurant Suri - Carl Ras has its own. Then they help our riders there and we help them, in the places where we have the seniors," says Brian Holm.

The Danish cycling scene thrives on collaboration, and even parents have joined in the fun—offering unexpected support during gravel events. This tight-knit spirit reflects broader shifts in how technology and community intersect in modern sports. Innovations in gear, data tracking, and virtual coaching are changing the way athletes train and compete. For more on what’s driving these changes, explore current technology trends shaping the future of performance.

Parents can be a great asset

When the field enters the first dirt road Skovkærvej between Billund and Givskud after 108 kilometers, Team ColoQuick has a señor dressed in zebra striping. Again on Sønder Askærvej 20 kilometres later.

And they have it down to the last dirt road, 47 kilometers as their target, and sports director Christian Moberg thinks this could be decisive.

- We all know that if it's spread out over a lot of groups it's far away from the car I enter and the riders get in and out, so it's a huge advantage to have people standing at the end of all the dirt roads," says Christian Moberg.

- It's definitely going to be chaos and some of the big teams will be out of luck and that could be our chance of success.

Brian Holm also wants to succeed, but when the roads are gravel, he too can easily get into machinery. He lives with it if the route puts sticks in the wheels of his riders.

- Of course, we'll have a puncture, but if one of our riders is suddenly put away, we won't wait for anyone. It's just an embarrassment. Then it's up to them to break out on the Vaile stage and make up for a lost time. It's not the end of the world. Otherwise, next week will be a tour of Germany.