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2 heartbreaking losses at the national champs in Europe

A DQ for a Dane and a flat for a Brit ruined what might have been

Two absolutely heartbreaking losses at the national champs in Europe Photo by: British Cycling
June 24, 2024
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Pro cycling can be tough–one minute you’re up, on top of the world. And then it can all come crashing down. There were two stories of woe from Europe over the weekend–one in Denmark, one in the U.K. For Johan Price-Pejtersen and Sophie Wright, it was the greatest and worse day in the saddle

Some TT is rotten in Denmark

Johan Price-Pejtersen of Bahrain – Victorious initially won at the Danish TT nationals, beating competitors like Mattias Skjelmose, Kasper Asgreen and Mikkel Bjerg. However, he was later disqualified for cutting a corner using a bike lane. As a result, Skjelmose was declared the national champion.

But Skjelmose didn’t think it was the right thing to do.

“Yesterday I was named the 2024 Danish time trial champion, and that should really be fantastic, because it was a big goal when I arrived at the start in Herning. But the problem is that I didn’t win the way I wanted to,” he posted on Instagram. “I was less than two seconds behind Johan Price-Pejtersen when I crossed the finish line. The fact that Johan was subsequently disqualified for, according to the commissaires, having taken advantage of riding on the cycle path on part of the route, and that I thus got gold instead of silver, I neither can nor will I take responsibility for. It was not a decision I sought out or pushed form on the contrary.”

Offer the championship to Price-Pejtersen

Skjelmose hated seeing the glory taken away from his countryman.

“On the other hand, I would like to express my great sympathy for Johan, who is not just a fantastic time trialist, as we saw yesterday, but who I consider a good friend in the field. I have offered Johan that he can have both the champion’s jersey and medal I was handed at the ceremony, to acknowledge his performance, so that it does not go down in history as a pure annoyance.”

The worst time for a flat

Pfeiffer Georgi of Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL successfully defended her British road race title with a decisive attack on the final climb up Saltburn Bank. The 23-year-old’s dominance was unquestionable, overshadowing late challenger Sophie Wright from Fenix-Deceuninck. She suffered a rear wheel puncture near the finish.

Despite desperately signaling for assistance, Wright’s hopes faded as she continued on a flat tire until neutral service arrived. A subsequent chain mishap during the wheel change sealed her fate. That allowing Georgi to secure victory as Wright was left to rue missed opportunities.

Wright would ultimately roll into the finish in 11th, a minute off the pace. It would have been the biggest win of the 25-year-old’s career. Hopefully the Fenix-Deceuninck gets another shot to take home the red, white and blue jersey in 2025.