Blazin’ Saddles: 10 takeaways from the Tour de France’s Danish Grand Depart, featuring Fabio Jakobsen, Magnus Cort

With the riders, teams and Tour de France entourage heading to Calais ahead of the first stage on mainland France, an early rest day gives us the chance to take stock of three action-packed days in Denmark. Here are the main talking points from a Grand Depart like no other… Tour puts Denmark firmly on the map Ad/> Even the rain during Friday’s opening time trial in Copenhagen couldn't put a dampener on what was a fantastic three-day festival of cycling in Denmark – and a Grand Depart which even proud Yorkshireman Adam Blythe admitted rivalled what we saw in God’s own country back in 2014.

Tour de FranceOpinion: Why Groenewegen win is just as significant as Jakobsen’s success6 HOURS AGO After dreary weather in the Danish capital – weather which, admittedly, added an intriguing dimension to the highly technical ITT – the sun shone bright for both road stages, capturing the Great Belt Bridge in all its glory. The six categorised climbs over the two days were lined with throngs of fans that recalled the scenes on the Buttertubs Pass, and in Magnus Cort (more on whom later) the race found the perfect local rider keen to serve up something special.

Three different stage winners, some emotional interviews, two different yellow jerseys, riders coming full circle after journeys back from the abyss, even a little bit of controversy – there was enough to keep fans on the edges of their seats, to showcase the beautiful Danish countryside, and to set the scene ahead of the resumption of the race on Tuesday. Sure, it wasn’t perfect: an early crash involving the yellow jersey on the Great Belt Bridge may have dulled the spectacle a little, while the narrow roads into Nyborg were perhaps not conducive to the rumble-tumble that precedes