Mads Pedersen insisted on competing in Danish criterium before the Vuelta, but Lidl-Trek set conditions for his participation

Pedersen concluded a very successful Tour of Denmark on Saturday with a third stage victory in the five-day stage race. After his victories in the first, fourth, and fifth stages, the Dane also won the overall and points classifications, making the 29-year-old all-rounder seem ready for the Tour of Spain, which starts on Saturday, August 23, in Turin, Italy.

After a grueling race through his own country and with a Grand Tour coming up a week later, you would think that Pedersen would take it easy for a while. Pedersen wants nothing to do with that and chose to race in a Danish criterium on Sunday. “Thank you, Mads Pedersen, for racing here as such a high-profile rider, between the Tour of Denmark and the Vuelta,” posted the Frederiksberg Criterium social media account online.

Pedersen would not win the criterium. With the Vuelta a España just around the corner, Lidl-Trek had set special conditions for Pedersen to ensure the safety of the Danish star, the rider told Feltet. “The team told me that if I couldn't ride solo to the finish or win in a small group, I had to drop back in the sprint because we can't take any risks ahead of the Vuelta a España,” the Lidl-Trek leader explained.

After the race, Pedersen recounted his performance in the criterium. ‘I rode at the front for the first 45 minutes and closed the gaps. I didn't have much left in my legs to keep it up. And as I said, I had to either ride alone, ride in a group of four or five, or drop back in the sprint. That was the request.

Finally, Pedersen gave a brief preview of the Vuelta a España, where the most recent winner of the points classification in the Giro (+ 4 stage wins) hopes to repeat his success. “I think I showed last week in the PostNord Danmark Rundt that I am definitely where I need to be,” concluded the former world champion. Incidentally, the criterium was won by Julius Johansen (UAE Emirates-XRG).

While Pedersen is enjoying his glory days, Jakob Fuglsang's career has come to an end. Pedersen's compatriot rode his last kilometers as a professional cyclist in the Frederiksberg criterium. "Suddenly, something more important comes along. When you're younger, you can be a bit more reckless and do what you think is best," said Fuglsang about his decision to retire.

The climber, who has been riding for Israel-Premier Tech in recent years, is referring to having young children. “When you're younger, you can be more selfish. I was, too, after we had children. Still, you almost have to be super selfish because everything revolves around cycling,” Jakob Fuglsang told Danish newspaper BT about the influence of children.

Jakob Fuglsang wonders whether having children is an advantage or a disadvantage for professional cyclists. "It was fine with one child. But two children were a lot for Loulou, and then it became a bit more difficult. We (cyclists, ed.) live a kind of nomadic life, don't we? So when you suddenly have children who also need a stable home, it becomes a bit more difficult," concludes Fuglsang, winner of Lombardy and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Fugslang has a total of 27 professional victories to his name, including a silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.