Pedersen warns Roglic: "I hope he enjoys the jersey, but hopefully I take it back tomorrow"

“I can’t be unhappy with today,” the Dane began. “It was still a really good time trial. I was beaten by better guys. Of course, it’s a pity that Primoz takes over the lead by one second, but it is what it is.”

The rider, who already had a strong spring season, isn’t known as a true time trial specialist, and that’s why he’s satisfied with his performance. “For me it went perfect, so I can't find any excuses. There were just riders who were better and faster than me. Unlucky for me it was just one second too much, but that’s also cycling.”

“Those were painful kilometers,” the always-honest Dane continued. “The pink jersey may have given me wings, but apparently they weren’t big enough today, haha. It’s an honor to wear a jersey like this, and I did everything I could to honor it, but it wasn’t enough to keep. It’s as simple as that.”

Tomorrow, the 29-year-old will have a new chance to reclaim the lead, and he’s determined to make it happen. “We’ll do everything we can as a team to get it back tomorrow. I want to congratulate Primoz on the win, and I hope he can enjoy wearing it till tomorrow and then I take it back,” Pedersen concluded with a smile.