Danish star Daniel Bækkegård has been forced out of Challenge Roth after a crash on the bike course, with the presenters on the live broadcast suggesting he may have collided with an age-group athlete.
Bækkegård, fourth in the race last year, had been one of the pre-race favourites and his race had panned out relatively well until his unfortunate exit.
How the race panned out
He was third out of the water after the swim, 53 seconds behind Germany’s Lukasz Wojt.
And though reigning champion and fellow Dane Magnus Ditlev – who would go on to win the race – powered to the head of affairs on the bike, Bækkegård worked his way into a chasing pack on what were slightly wet roads after gentle rain.
The gap between Ditlev and the rest had moved out to around six minutes but Bækkegård and American Rudy von Berg were doing much of the driving in behind.
The commentators on the live broadcast said they had been told Bækkegård collided with an age-grouper on a left-hand corner during the second of two 85km loops.
Though the race’s official X feed simply said that he was “out of the race after a crash” and didn’t suffer “any serious injuries”.
Numbers reduced in 2024
Given the two-lap nature of the bike course at Challenge Roth, the pros and age groupers do share the roads on what is the second lap for the elites before there is a straight 10km to T2.
Race organisers did reduce numbers this year to allow more space for all during the bike leg.
In the pre-race press conference when asked about his prospects, Bækkegård had said: “My dreams would be a podium on Sunday.”
