Mads Pedersen helps fund two extra spots for U23 riders in Denmark's World Championships squad
Former world champion makes 'generous donation' after auctioning Tour de France kit
Mads Pedersen has personally provided funds that have helped to allow two young Danish riders to participate in the UCI Road World Championships next week.
Denmark originally only had enough money to field four riders in the U23 men's road race, but it has now announced it has been able to fill all six spots.
The change is partly due to "frugal work in the elite sports sector", according to the Danish Cycling Union, but also to a "generous donation" from Denmark's star rider in the elite category.
Pedersen, who won the elite road race world title in 2019 and will lead Denmark in Montreal next weekend, recently started an auction of his kit from this summer's Tour de France, in which he won the green jersey.
The funds were always intended to go towards the Danish Cycling Union, and in particular the youth categories, and that has already borne fruit, with Emil Nymand and Kevin Biehl receiving their tickets to Canada.
"I have been working to make this a reality all year, and through frugal work in the elite sports sector and not least a major contribution from Mads Pedersen, it has now succeeded. And that makes me incredibly happy and proud," said national coach Michael Mørkøv.
"These are two riders I have always wanted to have, but budget has previously prevented it. We have now managed to find a solution, and therefore we can expand the squad with Emil Nymand and Kevin Biehl.
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"Emil Nymand and Kevin Biehl have both delivered great results in the Giro Next Gen and Giro della Valle d'Aosta, which are among the biggest and most prestigious U23 races. That's why I'm really pleased that we can now give them the opportunity to become part of the World Cup squad.
"I am convinced that it will be of great importance for both riders’ further development and future that they will have the opportunity to ride a world championship. They are both light riders who should be able to do well on the course in Montreal. All in all, it is fantastic news."
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Patrick is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish) and a decade’s experience in digital sports media, largely within the world of cycling. He re-joined Cyclingnews as Deputy Editor in February 2026, having previously spent eight years on staff between 2015 and 2023. In between, he was Deputy Editor at GCN and spent 18 months working across the sports portfolio at Future before returning to the cycling press pack. Patrick works across Cyclingnews’ wide-ranging output, assisting the Editor in global content strategy, with a particular focus on shaping CN's news operation.
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