Wout van Aert claimed a sprint victory on the opening stage of the PostNord Danmark Rundt in Aalborg, taking the overall leader's jersey after returning from an elbow infection that forced his Tour de France withdrawal.
The 31-year-old Visma-Lease a Bike rider finished ahead of Lukáš Kubiš and Henrik Pedersen at the end of the 197.2-kilometre stage, securing his 54th professional win and third of the 2026 season. Van Aert survived a mass crash with 71 kilometres remaining but escaped without serious injury.
The second stage runs Thursday from Glyngøre to Skive on a flat route. Van Aert, who won the race overall in 2018, leads the general classification heading into the sprint-friendly stage.