Four weeks before the race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, one of the favourites decided to withdraw from the Tour de France on Friday. Mads Pedersen, the former world champion, opted to return home to prepare for the Olympic event rather than continue to suffer in the French Tour. 

Pedersen crashed in the sprint of stage five, which was won by Mark Cavendish, who set a new record for wins. He injured his shoulder and did not want to race the rest of the Tour, which is the toughest and most demanding part of the race.

Pedersen's qualities and characteristics make him one of the favourites to win the Olympic Games. The Dane is a specialist in long and gruelling one-day races. He is always among the contenders in all the classics. He is a sprinter and finisher who can adapt to any terrain. 

He is not a short sprinter for flat races, but he has strength and power and is capable of competing with the best in the Tour of Flanders or Milan-San Remo, two completely different classics. He is a stage winner in all three grand tours, the Spanish, the Giro and the Tour. In 2024 he won Ghent-Wevelgem.

"The range of motion in his left shoulder has deteriorated, making it almost impossible to handle the bike," explained his Lidl-Trek team.

Lidl said Pedersen's withdrawal would allow him "the proper rest and recovery he needs to focus on his remaining goals this summer."

Pedersen won the 2019 world championship in Yorkshire. He reached the final metres with Matteo Trentin and Stefan Küng, whom he beat in the sprint to take the rainbow jersey. He is the first Danish rider to win the elite men's world championship. 

Danish cycling has made a significant leap in quality with Pedersen's world championship victory and Jonas Vingegaard's victories in the 2022 and 2023 Tour de France.

Pedersen came to the Tour to win stages. But this year's first week, unlike other editions, has a very different route with few opportunities for sprinters. His team, Lidl-Trek, will miss him as he is always a great support for their leader, Giulio Ciccone, who is 13th in the general classification.

The Paris 2024 road race course suits the Dane. It is a tough and challenging course, but theoretically benefits riders with power and strength in the final metres.

Pedersen's withdrawal from the Tour follows those of Astana's Italian rider Michele Gazzoli and Denmark's Casper Pedersen (Soudal-Quick-Step) on the fourth day of the race. The cycler delayed his decision, but the pain and focus on Paris 2024 prevailed. He took part in the individual time trial on Friday. However, he was forced to pull out. 

"The pain and abrasions have not improved. The range of motion in his left shoulder has been reduced to the point where it is difficult for him to handle his bike," his team said in a statement.