When we talk about against the clock, Denmark often comes up in the discussion. And for good reason, whether it's Soren Kragh Andersen, by Mikkel Bjerg or by Kasper Asgreen, 4e of the world among the elites, all have exceptional driving potential. But there is one you may not have heard of before today, I named the world champion hope Johan Price Pejtersen.
Just 22 years, the Danish already has two European titles and a world time trial title among the hopes in his palmares. A remarkable performance, All the more so when you know that he could have claimed a medal at the worlds 2019, without the spectacular fall that occurred when crossing a huge puddle, an image that had been around the web. We had therefore known his qualities against the clock for a while., and his title acquired in Flanders on Monday only confirmed this observation.
To afford the first rainbow of his young career, Johan was able to win in the face of very stiff competition, and in particular Luke Plapp and Florian Vermeersch, silver and bronze medalists, who also display extraordinary potential. A more than significant medal therefore for the resident of the Uno X training, which will evolve under these Norwegian colors until 2022.
14e of the junior chrono worlds in 2017, the Danish giant (1m97) stood out in his first season in the under 23 years winning the Olympia's Tour time trial after taking second place in their national championship and 3rd place in Hajfell GP, a time trial run in Norway in which he beat a few big names in the discipline, like Mathias Norsgaard, Rasmus Quaade or even Tobias Foss.
from 2019, he takes the last step separating him from the best of his generation by claiming the European title in the hopeful time trial in front of a certain Stefan Bissegger, while his compatriot Mikkel Bjerg, then world champion of the exercise in his category, takes 3rd place. High performance, especially when we know that his two rivals are already playing at the best world level in World Tour teams. The same year, he takes the national title in the U21 time trial, before signing a superb third place in the elite, twice ahead of his best enemy Mikkel Bjerg.
A very solid season which led the Uno X team to integrate it into its squad in July 2020, as a trainee. He's having a more difficult season, strongly disturbed by the health situation, but still manages to grab a nice 5th place in the time trial of the Tour of Slovakia, devant Jasha Sutterlin, Chad Haga, Thymen Arensman and Yves Lampaert in particular.
This year, we saw the Danish rider perform great performances during the various timed exercises in which he participated, with in particular 2nd place in the prologue of the Tour de l'Avenir, just a second from Soren Waerenskjold, his teammate at Uno X. It is in fact the latter that he beat a few days ago in the European Time Trial Championship to clinch the title among the U21s., announcing the color before his world title.
Without a doubt, Johan Price Pejtersen will quickly be talked about at the highest level, for what would be the logical continuation of his career. The opportunity to meet Stefan Bissegger, Mikkel Bjerg or Tobias Foss in the international pelotons, and why not follow their wake and pick up, him too, his first victories in this exercise which seems cut out for him.
