"I got addicted to gaming. My father forced me to start cycling" - Henrik Pedersen takes U23 European Championship title

At just 18 years old, Henrik Pedersen to a surprise victory in the men's U23 European Championships road race, holding off all challengers to announce himself onto the world's stage.

Part of a three-man breakaway alongside Ivan Romeo and Mateusz Gajdulewicz, Pedersen managed to hold his advantage all the way to the finish line. “When we saw that we had a four-minute lead going into the local lap, we started to believe in it. The gap was big and I couldn't figure out who would take control of the peloton," recalls Pedersen post-race to Wielerflits. "That's why we kept pressing. I was very afraid of Iván. I didn't know if he was playing with me or not. He was very strong. But that I could win... I've been dreaming of this jersey since 2017!!”

So who is Henrik Pedersen? “I come from a small village about thirty kilometres south of Herning. I stopped playing football at some point and then I got addicted to gaming. My father forced me to start cycling," the Dane explains. "He didn't want me to be so bored, get fat and just sit in front of the computer. After I got on the racing bike for the first time, it clicked. I kept at it and now look: here I am in this beautiful jersey!”

Next year, Pedersen will join up with the Uno-X Pro Cycling Team and the teenager has big hopes for the future. "I actually think I'm more like Mads Pedersen. Of course we also have the same last name,” he says. "Just like him, I also have a good final sprint. Which race would I most like to win one day among the pros? I don't have to think about that for long: Paris-Roubaix.”