Mørkøv has been working with Team Visma | Lease a Bike since the start of the season and looks back with great satisfaction on his first few months. “It has been a fantastic period so far. From day one, I’ve felt very welcome and appreciated within the team. These have been wonderful months, especially with the big success we've had in recent weeks.”

The 37-year-old Dane is referring to Simon Yates’ overall victory at the Giro d’Italia, where he served as sports director. “It was a beautiful Grand Tour, especially with stage wins from Wout and Olav, and of course Simon’s overall victory. The cooperation with Olav has also been excellent. We’ve worked together at many races, and everything is going really well.”

“The preparation for this race has gone well,” Mørkøv continues. “The riders are coming in from various races, but I’ve already seen that their form is good. Hopefully, they can carry that shape into this race. For now, I’m very satisfied.”

On Sunday, the yellow-and-black squad will start with one clear objective: to fight for the victory. “We’ll do everything we can to win with Olav. It’s a race for the sprinters, but we must make sure no dangerous breakaways go clear in the final. That way, we can aim for a full-on sprint in the streets of Copenhagen with Olav.”

For the Danish sports director, it’s a race close to his heart. “This is a very special race for me. A WorldTour event in my home country, and even near the area where I grew up. We’ll even ride over some of my old training roads, which makes it extra special. It promises to be a great day,” Mørkøv concludes.

In addition to Kooij, the seven-man line-up for Team Visma | Lease a Bike includes Per Strand Hagenes, Tosh Van der Sande, Attila Valter, Loe van Belle, Dan McLay, and Niklas Behrens.