Mads Pedersen to skip World Championships - "I am already closing in on that limit"

Mads Pedersen has been showing good form this year, and in the ongoing Vuelta a Espana he's a leading figure having already finished in second place on three occasions and has Trek - Segafredo dictate much of the race yesterday into an attempt to another sprint.

"I'm not doing the World Championships. After the Vuelta I will already have had 85 race days and I also have a wife and a life at home," he revealed in a recent interview. "This is a lot of travel days and at one point I will reach the limit. I am already closing in on that limit. To go straight from here to Australia is not ideal, and I prefer instead to go home."

Pedersen has had a packed schedule this year, with the Étoile de Bessèges, Paris-Nice and Circuit Cycliste Sarthe before and between the cobbled classics campaign. He then raced the Tour of Norway and the Baloise Belgium Tour as preparation to the Tour de France where he took a stage win from a breakaway. He's seeking a win at the Vuelta, aswell as the green jersey, and is showing his best legs currently.

"Every point I will try. The system is build a little bit weird because in the bunch sprints the winner gets 50 points and second place 30 points, so that's already a big difference. I have to reach out for every point I can get," he said. Currently Pedersen sits 15 points behind Sam Bennett who's taken two stage wins in the opening days.

With an ongoing effort to chase the points classification, he was also asked about the possibility of chasing it at the Tour de France as he's shown enough sprinting prowess and versatility to chase points.

"One day for sure I will try to aim for that green jersey, but it depends on the course. I cannot tell you that next year will be the year, but for sure one year I will try for the green in the Tour," he concluded.