Pedersen's illness worse than expected ahead of World Championships: 'I didn’t race for about 6 or 7 days'

The past three weeks haven’t been so great for Mads Pedersen. The Danish rider from Lidl-Trek started the Vuelta a España with the goal of winning stages, but he had to pull out in the second week. He fell ill, and it turned out to be much more serious than anyone had anticipated. With his major autumn goal, the World Cycling Championships, on the horizon, this was far from ideal.

Pedersen rode an outstanding Tour de France, winning the stage to Foix in the first week. It set the stage for his victory in the points classification. Moreover, the Dane rode an extremely aggressive race. But he was unable to replicate his French success in Spain. After finishing fourth and second, he was forced to withdraw.

He had fallen ill during the rest day. In hindsight, that illness turned out to be a lot harder to overcome, the sprinter explained in his podcast Lang Distance. “I didn’t race for about six or seven days after that—it was really tough. After that, I was able to ride again, and it’s only been in the last few days that I’ve felt completely okay.”

It was a major disappointment to have to withdraw from the Vuelta. But since it wasn’t his ultimate goal after the Tour anyway, Pedersen knows he made the right choice. “Withdrawing from the Vuelta was the right decision, because now I have enough time to train hard and be ready for the World Championships. I wouldn’t have had that if I’d stayed in the Vuelta.”

That World Championship will take place in just under two weeks in Montréal, Canada. On a course that seems much more suited to climbers than to riders like Pedersen, the Dane hopes to repeat his 2019 feat, when he unexpectedly became world champion. With 3,600 meters of elevation gain, and riders like Remco Evenepoel, Isaac Del Toro, and Paul Seixas in top form, it looks like it will be a tough race.

Co-team leader Mattias Skjelmose withdrew from the world championships after his disappointing performance in the Vuelta. It’s a shame for the Danes and Pedersen, but the Lidl-Trek team leader has personally ensured that the U23 squad can travel to Canada at full strength. The necessary funds were raised through an auction of his memorabilia from this year’s Tour de France.

And so Denmark will be able to compete in the World Championships with a strong junior team. “I’ve been working all year to make this a reality, and thanks to the cost-saving measures within the elite sports department—and not least thanks to a major contribution from Mads Pedersen—we’ve now succeeded,” said national team coach Michael Mørkøv. “That makes me incredibly happy and proud.”