Youth cycling in Denmark sees significant boost due to success of local professional riders

Bike helmets are securely fastened, chains are well-lubricated, and cycling gear is ready for the day’s youth training at Vejle Cycling Club in Denmark. Fifteen children and teenagers have turned up today to hit the asphalt, a remarkable number compared to just a few years ago when only three members aged 8-16 were present.

The local youth field has now grown to 38 riders, and when asked among the many focused faces, one idol in particular is the reason for their newfound love for cycling. Ten-year-old Gregers Dollerup Jensen, breathlessly shares, “Last year I started to watch a lot of cycling races on TV, and I was just inspired to start cycling myself. It was cool to see Jonas Vingegaard win the world’s biggest cycling race, and I also prefer climbing, just like him.”

The club is seeing a surge in membership. Karsten Ellerup, coach for the youth team in Vejle, confirms the significant impact that the success of Jonas Vingegaard and other Danish riders at the top level has on interest. “When Vingegaard and the other Danish riders do well, we can really feel it in the children’s motivation. They are extra ready to train, they want to push themselves, and if Mads Pedersen, for example, wins a sprint, they are here the next day asking if there can be sprint training today,” he says.

This trend is not only limited to Vejle. The Danish Cycling Union has seen a nationwide increase in membership of around 25 percent among 8 to 16-year-olds in just two years. According to development consultant Kristoffer Nielsen, the growth is due to several factors, including Vingegaard’s victories creating an idol status, the start of the world’s largest cycling race in Denmark, and efforts by cycling clubs to attract young people.

For years, the Danish Cycling Union had been battling declining membership numbers, which hit a low in 2021. However, two tour victories and a few Danish stage victories in the same race have dramatically reversed this trend, which bodes well for the future of Danish cycling, according to Nielsen. “The great attention on the Tour de France and the Danish riders definitely gives the sport a boost here at home. When children and teenagers see Vingegaard on TV, it gives them the urge to explore what they can achieve in their local cycling club,” he says.

The youth team in Vejle has grown from 3 riders to 38 in just a few years. The Danish Cycling Union views this rising interest as vital for the future success of Danish cycling, as ‘more members pave the way for the riders we potentially will see on TV in ten years’.

Karsten Ellerup from Vejle Cycling Club emphasizes the importance of creating a good environment for these new, young cycling enthusiasts. “I think we have become very good at capturing their interest and creating a good sense of camaraderie, making it both fun and educational to come to training. If we continue to provide good conditions for the many new ones, I am sure they will stay,” he says.

Eleven-year-old Sophia Ernst Jensen, whose determination is unquestionable, says, “There are many good cyclists from Denmark who win a lot of big races. Both men and women. It gives you something to look up to, where you can think ‘that could be me one day if I train really hard’.”