Other career highlights include placing first in the Amstel Gold Race in 1997, multiple Danish National Championships, and stage wins in the Giro d'Italia.

When he was not selected for the 1984 Summer Olympics, former cyclist Kim Andersen advised Riis to start his professional career not in Italy, but in Luxembourg.

Fignon was leading the Tour of European Community race, but he needed a few riders to help him secure the victory.

[4] For the next three years Riis rode as Fignon's eternal helper in both flat and mountainous terrain, and they became close friends.

Riis won stage 7 of the 1993 Tour de France and also wore the polka dot jersey as leader of the mountains classification for a day.

By the start of the Tour he was in superb condition, winning the Danish Road Racing Championship the week before the prologue.

It also had a huge positive effect on the development of cycling in both Denmark and Germany, massively increasing spectator interest and participation in the sport as well.

In 1997, he placed first in the spring classic Amstel Gold Race, with a great effort, riding solo from a long way out, in pouring rain.

[4] In the aftermath of the performance-enhancing drugs crisis in cycling following the 1998 Tour de France, Riis acquired the nickname of Mr. 60%, a suggestion that he has used doping.

When asked whether he used doping he repeatedly stated that "I have never tested positive," a statement that falls short of an outright denial.

[18] This prompted other former teammates, Christian Henn and Udo Bölts, and two former team doctors, to admit their involvement in doping.

[23][24] He denied a passage of Jeff d'Hont's book, where it is related that his hematocrit level was once tested by the team and registered 64%.

Others have labelled him as a victim of the doping culture that was rampant in professional road cycling, and have insisted that he should not be scapegoated for a wider problem.

Following doping allegations and suspension of Home-Jack & Jones rider Marc Streel in 1999, Home withdrew its sponsorship.

However, in Tyler Hamilton's book, "The Secret Race," is described how Riis actively encouraged the use of doping on the CSC team.

[31] Also, Ivan Basso, who was Team CSC's 2006 Tour de France general classification contender was removed from the team prior to the beginning of the Tour according to the UCI ProTour rules due to his possible involvement in the Operación Puerto doping case,[32] an involvement confirmed by Basso himself in April 2007.

Media reports had initially indicated that Riis had been suspended when he did not appear at the 2015 Milan–San Remo as planned, and that this was due to a disappointing start to the season for the team.