Team Bahrain Victorious will be back in Denmark this weekend for the Copenhagen Sprint, with the one-day UCI WorldTour race taking place on Sunday 14 June.

Now in its second edition, the men’s race covers 228.2 kilometres, starting in Roskilde before crossing Zealand and heading towards Copenhagen. The route is not built around major climbs, but around long, fast roads, exposed sections and the fight for position before the final circuit. Once in the capital, the riders will face five laps of the Copenhagen city circuit, where repeated corners and technical sections are expected to make timing and organisation important before the final sprint.

The team arrives with a sprint focused line up built around Žak Eržen. Robert Stannard brings experience and road captain support, while Pau Miquel gives the team another option if the race becomes more selective. Daniel Skerl and Alberto Bruttomesso will be important for the lead-out and the fast finish, with Mathijs Paasschens and Oliver Stockwell supporting through the day and helping the team arrive well placed into the final circuit.

For Eržen, Copenhagen Sprint will be his first race back after a short break from competition. He said:

“It will be my first race back after a while, since Belgium, and I also had some knee problems, so I’m coming into it without putting too much pressure on myself. It’s a good race to help me build again for the next part of the season, but of course I still want to aim for the best result possible.

In terms of form, I’m not completely sure where I am yet, so I will see during the race. From my training at home, I feel I’m in good shape, and I’m looking forward to racing again. We also have a strong team here, with riders I raced with in Belgium, so we know each other well and I think we can communicate and work together in a good way.

If the forecast stays as it is, with wind and maybe some rain, I think it could be a really fun and entertaining race. I’m looking forward to it.”

Enrico Gasparotto, Sports Director, said:

“The race can have different scenarios depending mainly on the weather, and especially the wind. Earlier in the week the forecast looked quite difficult for Sunday, with strong wind and some showers, but now it seems to be improving. At the moment, it looks like there should not be strong gusts, although there could still be some rain in the final.

If there is wind, the race can become more hectic, and some organised teams may try to make it hard before we enter the final circuit in Copenhagen. Without the wind, I think we can expect a race more similar to last year: quite intense on the way into Copenhagen, and then a big fight for position during the final five laps.

We have a young and motivated group here. Some of the guys have not raced too much recently, so we can count on their freshness. Rob Stannard is coming from the Giro, so if the race becomes active from early on, his condition and experience can be important for us. If the race is more controlled, then we will look to support Zak, knowing that he had some issues in the last few weeks but now seems to have recovered well.

We are not coming here as the favourites, but in a bunch sprint you never know. There are some very strong sprinters at the start, including Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM), so we need to race well as a team and try to make the most of our opportunity. It is my first time at this race, Copenhagen is a great city, and we are looking forward to the experience.”