Cyclingflash
Mads Pedersen reacts to support for Van Aert: "It almost hurt to see him lose"

Mads Pedersen reacts to support for Van Aert: "It almost hurt to see him lose"

Mads Pedersen was one of the first riders to comfort Wout van Aert after Dwars door Vlaanderen and tell him how much he respects the Belgian. The Dane has now shared more about the moment with Danish media. "It almost hurt me to see," said Pedersen.

"I can’t say why I felt the need to tell him that, but in the moment I just felt I had to tell him how much respect I have for him as a rider and for the way he handles ups and downs."

"Then to see him miss out on a win like that again...", Pedersen continued. "Last year you could still laugh a little about his second place in Dwars door Vlaanderen, thinking: what are you doing now? But this year, it really almost hurt me to see. Wout is one of the best riders of our time, and the media can sometimes be pretty tough on him. He doesn’t deserve that."

"People sometimes forget how much work and hours go into our performances. I know better than anyone, because I do exactly the same as him," said the Dane.