RACE: Bornholm Rundt 2025

Introduction

Niclas asked if we should cycle Bornholm Rundt this year. I said yes. Just yes. I don't really know why. I suppose I had to see where Niclas came from. Why he is the way he is. Where all his strange habits originated. It couldn't just be a coincidence. Maybe it was there, on Bornholm, the sunshine island, that one could learn what proper Danish work ethic was all about. Or maybe not. But I had to see. With my own eyes.

Fact box: Bornholm

• Geography: A Danish island in the Baltic Sea. Known as "The Sunshine Island" due to its mild climate.

• Capital: Rønne.

• "Bornholm Rundt 2025": A classic untimed touring race of 103 kilometers, with approximately 2000 participants.

• Unique: The only mountainous island in Denmark, with dramatic cliffs and sandy beaches.

• Most visited attraction: Hammershus castle ruin, which is Northern Europe's largest castle ruin.

• Typical dish: "Sun over Gudhjem", which is a smoked herring with raw egg yolk, radish, and chives on rye bread. Tastes better than you'd think.

The Beginning

We drove a VW Passat GTE. There wasn't much to say about that. Just that we drove for many hours. Mostly in Sweden. And Sweden is largely flat and uninteresting. But eventually, we reached the ferry that would take us out to sea and over to the island. And here, things got a little different. There were a thousand people on board. And at least 500 of them were cyclists. It might have been more. Fewer. I don't know. But there were many. Cyclists. And they chatted. About bikes and gears and tires. The atmosphere was good. That's how it is when many cyclists are in the same place.

Welcome to Bornholm

My first impression of Bornholm was so-so. Neither more nor less. If I had my way, I would have placed the ferry terminal right under the Hammershus castle ruin. We could have stood there on the ferry, looked up at the old castle, and felt a little humbled. Those who ruled there many centuries ago were not people to trifle with. Here, you had to behave, or it was straight to the gallows. But it didn't turn out that way. I had to wait two days to see Hammershus. First, I had to settle for Rønne. And Rønne is a perfectly fine town, with perfectly fine people, in a perfectly fine place.

Preparations

It's a touring race. This means there's no timekeeping. There's no pressure. Or so you'd think. But there actually is. And especially there's pressure when Niclas has announced that this will be completed in under three hours. No way we're finishing in MORE than three hours, says Niclas. Then we have to cycle at a speed of around 34 kilometers per hour. The good thing about pressure is that pressure can lead to great achievements. But it can also go completely the other way. As you know, pressure leads to stress, and the balance is delicate:

Right amount of stress:

• You become extra focused.

• The body gets a boost.

• You can handle more strain.

• It's good for self-confidence.

Too much stress:

• You get tired.

• The body has less time to recover.

• You perform worse than you are capable of.

• You can become depressed.

Potatoes

Bornholmers are built on potatoes. Preferably new potatoes. Straight from the ground on the farm. You can eat potatoes from Spar, but that's only in emergencies and even then it's best not to mention the potatoes during dinner. Good cyclists are like good potatoes. They are robust, reliable, require little, and are a symbol of hard work. We were to have potatoes with our meals for two days, and I had no doubt. These were the potatoes that would get us to the finish line in under three hours. That's just how it was.

Magnus Cort

Magnus Cort is from Bornholm, and is a very good cyclist. He's the type who attacks on climbs, but is also good in sprints. Beyond that, he has an impressive mustache and is sponsored by Gilette.

Fact box: Magnus Cort

• Born: January 16, 1993, Bornholm.

• Known for: One of Denmark's greatest cycling hopes. He is a good climber and sprinter, but is best known as a "puncher".

• Team: Uno-X Mobility (as of 2025)

• Achievements: Six stage wins in Vuelta a España, two stage wins in Tour de France.

Bornholm Rundt 2025

The starting gun fires, and for a moment everything is perfect. We roll out, thoughts disappear, and I feel a sense of hope. But it's a fleeting feeling, for soon we're chasing at high speed. Nervous chaos spreads through the peloton, and it's obvious we're a collection of amateurs. The first crashes happen behind me, the sound echoing a reminder: cycling is the most dangerous sport of them all.

But soon it's my turn to feel it. A near-accident. The peloton stops in front of me, and I hit a wheel. For a moment I see my life flash before my eyes, but somehow I manage to avoid disaster. With my heart pounding against my ribs, I swerve onto the pavement and across the grass. I'm alive.

I catch my breath before throwing myself back into the fray. Only two minutes later, and there's another crash. A gigantic crash in front of me. It's a battlefield of carbon, bottles, and men scattered everywhere. The sound of pain cuts through the air, but we continue. It's a minefield. It's a hunt.

But we find a group, and we cycle on. We are scattered. The original plan is in tatters. It becomes a battle against nature, a battle against the elements. A battle against myself. We have to cycle the old-fashioned way. With raw strength and patience. Here, it's clear that only hard work will do.

I know that a tailwind is a blessing. A headwind is a curse. I know that on an island like Bornholm, there is no escape from the wind. At the midpoint of the ride, in the middle of the hilly landscape, the headwind hits me. The average speed drops, and even though I try to channel the strength of Magnus Cort, it doesn't help. I am no warrior, and I have no mustache. Only doubt. And that is my enemy.

The three-hour limit is approaching. The finish line? Too far away. I stop chasing. I find peace and quiet. The most important thing for me? That we finish together. So we cruise. Three hours or not, it's all the same. The sun is shining. People are smiling. That's what matters. And that's why we're here. For the journey, not for the destination.

Finish time: 3:06:55