"I can be satisfied, even if in the end I did not deliver what we had hoped for" - Mads Pedersen rides incredible Worlds but just misses out on podium

The long kilometers, explosive and slightly hilly circuit and unstable weather favoured Mads Pedersen. Denmark rode a strong race and the Lidl-Trek rider made it into the right moves, however he finished just outside the podium.

“I think we rode well and we were able to do almost everything we set out to do. So I think I can be satisfied, even if in the end I did not deliver what we had hoped for," Pedersen told TV2 Sport after the end of the race. The Dane was present in moves almost as soon as the riders entered the Glasgow circuit, with Denmark taking up the responsibilities early on, having Mattias Skjelmose cover a few attacks.

Eventually he was well positioned when a crash in the group split it down to a few riders in the front, Pedersen was part of it and collaborated with van der Poel, Van Aert and Pogacar until the Dutchman attacked for victory. However Pedersen did not struggle more than the other two, the trio kept collaborating and riding into the podium.

Pedersen lost the wheel of Wout van Aert coming into the final kilometer and tried to chase him back. “I lost him in the corner. I didn't have enough confidence in my tires and so I didn't take too many risks," he explains. Eventually that gap proved impossible to close, but a medal was still on the line.

However after taking a long and hard pull, Pedersen launched his sprint and Pogacar was able to ride in the wheels enough to outsprint him in the fight for the bronze medal. "I thought I could beat Tadej in a sprint, but in the end it was not possible to do more than this. So yes, we have to settle for fourth place," he concluded.