A spectacular start ahead: Sports stars to kick off Tall Ships Races in Aalborg

As announced earlier this week, the big cycling race Post Danmark Rundt will start in Aalborg this year.

New exciting details have emerged about the race, which usually features several top star riders. Aalborg is one of five cities hosting Denmark’s biggest cycling event. In Aalborg, July 29 will feature an unusual start to the first stage.

The first stage will begin at Slotspladsen, coinciding with a pre-start for the major international sailing event, The Tall Ships Races.

Organizers expect many of the participating ships to be in port as early as Wednesday, even though the official hosting of the race begins on July 30.

Stage start kicks off a citywide celebration.

Based on previous events, many residents of Aalborg are expected to gather at the waterfront when the first ships dock.

In the evening, there will be concerts at Slotspladsen, launching a huge public festival full of music, activities, food, and much more.

This will mark the biggest edition of the Tall Ships Races ever in Aalborg. The city hosts the Tall Ships Race only once every four years, and the massive event returns in 2026.

“PostNord Danmark Rundt is an amazing sporting event, and we are incredibly excited to pave the way for the first stage this year.

It is a celebration of cycling, which is close to the hearts of many Danes.

The fact that we can also give the stage start an extra boost by having it begin amidst a lively festival in the heart of Aalborg makes it even more spectacular,” says the mayor of Aalborg Municipality, Lasse Frimand Jensen, who continues:

“I am completely certain that many Aalborg residents will take the opportunity to give the riders lots of energy and atmosphere, which will follow them on their journey further north,” the mayor adds.

Many top teams have confirmed their arrival

“At Aalborg Cykle-Ring, we are proud to welcome no fewer than seven UCI WorldTour teams and seven ProTour teams, as well as the Danish national team.

For all of us who love cycling, PostNord is the biggest international race that can be brought to Aalborg, and we are over the moon after hearing this news.

As a club with two elite teams – Team Aalborg – Sparekassen Danmark (men and women) – we constantly supply riders to the highest level of the sport, and we hope that some of the club’s talented riders will participate either on the national team or with one of the top teams taking part,” says Mikkel Skjellerup, chairman of Aalborg Cykle-Ring.

Here are the stage details

The first stage goes through Brønderslev, Vrå, Pandrup, and Brovst before sending the riders across the Limfjord via the Aggersund Bridge and back into Aalborg Municipality, where they will ride through Lundby, Halkær, Bislev, Godthåb, and Svenstrup.

The first stage then concludes on a 5 km circuit in Mølholm and Hasseris, where the notorious Skovbakkevej must be tackled three times – before the day’s winners are decided at the finish line on Annebergvej in Aalborg’s Vestby.

Before the start, there will be a team presentation on Slotspladsen.

The riders will be presented from the stage, which will also be used for The Tall Ships Races.

Here, spectators can see the entire setup for the race, including the many team buses and director cars packed with bikes and other equipment.

On the same afternoon, Aalborg Cykle-Ring, in collaboration with Aalborg Municipality, will hold a Children’s Tour, where children and young people aged 3–15 can participate in a kids’ cycling race at the Harbourfront.