L’Etape Denmark qualified Michael Svendsen for L’Etape du Tour

In 2023, Michael Svendsen from Denmark was the third rider from the 300 km course to reach the finish line in Viborg completing the ride in an impressive time of 8:40 hours.

The podium finish not only brought Michael huge satisfaction. He also entered the L'Etape Series by Tour de France Championship programme and qualified for L'Etape du Tour 2024 in Nice.

The Championship program automatically qualifies the top three finishers (male and female) of the longest route for L'Etape du Tour in France.

The qualified riders will receive a free bib number, get access to a unique L'Etape Championship Qualifier treat in the race village and be allowed to start in Wave 0 with the most competitive riders.

We spoke to Michael Svendsen to learn more about his experiences in Denmark and France.

What did you think about the L’Etape concept before participating in L’Etape Denmark?

My local cycling club has a tradition of participating in L’Etape Denmark, so I have ridden it quite a few times. We heard about the L’Etape concept with the leader’s jerseys and the sprint and KOM sections.

My good mate and I like to be competitive, so we thought it was cool that there was a competitive element. We definitely had a plan to give it our best shot!

What was your experience of L’Etape Denmark?

We started in the first wave with a lot of strong riders, who we tried to stay with. We managed to follow the leaders until 50 km to go, at which point two guys rode away. I was in a small group behind, where I managed to win the sprint for third place, so that was perfect.

My experience was that everything was well organized, and it was super cool with the sprint and KOM sections.

The highlight was finishing on the top of the last mountain. All of my family was there, and my wife, who was pregnant with our daughter at the time, greeted me at the finish. That was quite touching.

L'Etape du Tour 2024 featured 138 km and 4,600 meters of elevation on a challenging route from Nice to Col de la Couillole. The route was an exact copy of stage 20 of the 2024 Tour de France won by Tadej Pogacar.

By finishing third, you entered the Championship Programme and qualified for L’Etape du Tour. What did you think of that?

Actually, I didn’t know at the time, but I received an email from ASO in the fall with an invitation to L’Etape du Tour 2024. That was really cool, and I was immediately hooked.

It didn’t take long, before I had asked my entire family to come and join and cheer me on. The concept of riding the same course as the Tour de France peloton just days before them was really attractive.

What were your expectations?

I had become a member of another cycling club with a few guys who hold a racing license, so I had trained with them as well as done as much climbing as I could.

I was hoping to complete the race in a good way and just enjoy the day. It was more a competition with myself and my power numbers than with everyone else.

Tell us about your experience of L’Etape du Tour

It was really cool and really well organized. By starting in the first wave, I didn’t experience anything or anyone getting in my way.

There were a lot of cool people, and we even had a chance to chat a bit going up the hills. But it was incredibly hard.

The highlight was finishing on the top of the last mountain. All of my family was there, and my wife, who was pregnant with our daughter at the time, greeted me at the finish. That was quite touching.

Apart from that, I have never experienced such a big expo at any event. It was so cool and really well made. When you hear the Tour de France hymn through the speakers, you just get that tickle in your stomach.

Michael Svendsen finished L'Etape du Tour in an impressive time of 6:08:16 placing him 548th overall and 106th in his age group (M2).