With a huge lead in the points classification, Mads Pedersen seems to be almost certain of the green in the Vuelta a España. The pressure is some of the kettle after his victory on Sundays. Now that the Thursday time trial has been shortened, the course seems to be made for the strong Deen of Lidl-Trek. Should we not write to him as a favorite? Certainly not, according to the words of Pedersen.
Pedersen climbed excellent in the middle and high mountains of Spain last week. But where he previously showed his best side, it did not go at all on Wednesday: he had to be dragged in by his team mates, 3 minutes behind the last riders. “It wasn’t my best day on the bike, it was probably one of the worst days in a long time,” said Pedersen after the finish.
There was nothing in the legs anymore, so the former world champion does not expect anything from the time trial in Valladolid. “Those days come every now and then. The tank was empty, it is what it is. Fortunately it will be a day of relative peace in the time trial tomorrow. ” Thanks to his team, Pedersen can still compete for his green sweater. “I survived. My teammates were fantastic; They waited for me and made sure that I reached my destination. Sometimes it’s no different. ”
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The powerhouse was so often in the early flight this Vuelta, but he is happy that he did not chose it this time. “They would have fired me anyway. The feeling was not normal. I was not on my best on the day of rest and I was not at my best yesterday, and that does not disappear in 48 hours. ” A stage victory on Friday, where a perfect course is ready for him, seems so far away.
The rather combative Pedersen may have to limit himself to arriving in Madrid: he feels sick. “Maybe I have something, just like almost the entire peloton.” Victor Campenaerts no longer started after the day of rest due to illness. Gianmarco Garofoli (Soudal Quick-Step) also stopped. There are also riders who are sick in course, such as Sergio Chumil (Burgos Burpellet BH).
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