In the early 1990s started the then President of
Herning Cycle Club, Harly Hyldgaard, along with John Axel, Alex
Pedersen and Torben Kølbæk processed into a new grand
race around Herning, which the club's main sponsor since
1969, Midtbank chose to actively engage i.
Grand Prix Midtbank which the course was named, took
place for the first time in 1992 and developed rapidly to the
most important Danish one day
race.
The Race victory list shows something about the
quality and hardness of the race, which has about 30 kilometer of
gravel roads.
1992: Claus Michael Moller, Ordrup: Subsequent winners
of the amateur version of the Tour of Spain, a professional with
TVM and Maia.
1993: Dennis Rasmussen, Aarhus CK: Winner of the
sprint among a total of seven men, the largest number of riders who
have come together home for the decisive sprint. He
later became a professional at Team Chicky World in the period
1998-99.
1994: Brian Smith, Motorola: Scotsman who signed up
for the race the day before the race took place won, by
defeating Carl Christian Pedersen (Kalle) in a sprint.
Kalle excused himself by the fact that he had not heard the
bell ringing for the last game, why he did not sprint..!
1995: Fréderic Moncassin, Novell: The French sprinter
better known in recent years as the eternal sequel has also been
one of the architects of the routing of the race, which he never
managed to win, namely .... Paris-Roubaix.
1996, 1997 and 1998: Bjarne Riis, Telekom: Denmark's
greatest cyclist of all time, of course, also won this race, and he
is the only one, who has won it three times in a row.
All three times he came home alone, something which has
become a tradition for the winner to do.
1999 and 2000: Michael Sandstød, home-Jack & Jones
/ Memory Card-Jack & Jones: Also Michael Sandstød has
mastered the art of coming home alone.
2001 and 2002: Rudi Kemna, Bankgiroloterij -
Batavus. No. 2 in Veenendaal-Veenendaal (UCI Cat. 1.2)
in April 2001. Rudi Kemna beated CSC-World Online
's Arvis Piziks in the sprint after sitting in outbreaks in 170
km. Piziks actually has no no less than five top 10
rankings all over: 2 x 2nd place, 1 x 4th
place, 1 x 5th place and 1 x 8th
place.
2003 and 2004: Frank Høj, Team Fakta and in '04 Team
CSC. Frank Høj had in 2004 one of his best seasons
where he achieved an eight place in Roonde Van Flandern, 8th place
for the Olympics, 10th place in Paris Rubaix and was
number 13th in the World Cup.
2005: Michael Blaudzun, CSC. This year
the winner was again extremely popular because it was one of the
local riders who won at home. This had not happened
since the Bjarne Riis' wins in 96, 97 and 98
2006: Allan Johansen, CSC. The victory in
Grand Prix Herning, was not the last great victory Allan Johansen
took this year. Later he managed to win the Danish
championship in road race.
2007: Kurt Asle Arvesen, CSC. This was
the fourth consecutive year with a CSC rider at the top of the
pile.
2008: The race was not run because it was not possible
to create a sustainable economy for the race this year.
2009: Rene Jorgensen, Team Designa Køkken.
Rene was to become the third local rider to the top of the
pile in Denmarks toughest cyclingrace. This year it
happened with total Designa dominance, as proved by the team
occupied the top three positions.
Said and written about Denmark's largest one day race
through a decade.
"Brilliant course. Really impressive. Internationally
cut. Superior of Herning Cycle Club. Five stars out of five."
Jens Veggerby, Herning Folkeblad on 24th of
may 1993
"A good race, which reminds me a bit about
Paris-Roubaix."
Frederic Moncassin, Herning Folkeblad, on 12th
of June 1995
"A body-painted prize girl, VIP bus with refreshments,
a member of the danish parliament as speaker and the printed
program, which was waiting for one in the hotel room and the
scoreboard in the same place after the race. What can you ask for
more? One race in first class! "
Henrik Elmgreen, Cycling, on 19th of May
1996
"There's also tennis players who are not so good on
gravel."
Jens Veggerby's comment after being put on a gravel
road, on 11th of May 1997
"It is without doubt the best offer on a large Danish
cyclingrace."
Mr Rolf Sorensen, Jyllands-Posten, on 25th of May
1998
"I am mighty glad to win this Denmark's biggest
bicycle race."
Bjarne Riis, BT, on 25th of May 1998
"It is a great race, but it's very nice to know the
roads in advance."
Jesper Skibby, Herning Folkeblad, on 25th of May
1998
"The race is the most beautiful races
I've participated in on Danish soil."
Rolf Sorensen, Herning Folkeblad, on 25th of May
1998
"The race is perfect - this could very well become the
first Danish World Cup race"
The President of Danish Cycling Federation, Peder
Pedersen, Herning Folkeblad on 25th of May 1998
"A bad rider can not win the Grand Prix Midtbank, but
good riders can be knocked out by accident."
Henrik Elmgreen, Cycling, the 15th of may 1999
"The whole course seems very well organized."
Chief Commissioner Michael Andersson, Herning
Folkeblad, on 18th of May 2000
