'Awful to watch' - Mads Pedersen snubs post-season criteriums

Mads Pedersen has made his feelings clear on the post-season international criteriums, describing them as “awful to watch” due to their lack of genuine competition and focus on the commercial aspect.

The Lidl-Trek rider revealed on his podcast 'Lang Distance', which he hosts alongside former teammate Jakob Egholm, that he has refused multiple invitations to attend the exhibition events, which typically take place after the regular road cycling season ends.

"It's a done deal. It's so awful to watch, because none of the riders are even trying to make it look like they're doing a bike race," Pedersen said on his podcast in quotes collected by Feltet. "It's more important that they're wearing some kind of bike helmet with a top hat on and a flap on top in a sumo wrestler's suit. That's what they're paid to do."

His comments come just days after his compatriot Jonas Vingegaard won the Saitama Criterium in Japan, an exhibition event run by Tour de France organiser ASO. Despite the scripted nature of the event, Vingegaard's victory nearly went awry when he crashed during one of the laps, though he quickly recovered.

"I just slipped, I came in a little too fast and lost control," Vingegaard explained, according to L'Équipe. "But I wasn't hurt anywhere, so I was able to get back on quickly."

The two-time Tour de France winner appeared to enjoy the experience despite its exhibition nature.

"It was a good day, a nice victory, a nice way to end the season," said Vingegaard, who plans to holiday in Japan with his family before returning to Europe. "It was a very hard race, very fast, and the atmosphere was incredible. There are a lot of fans here, and it's nice to be able to see how many people like cycling here."

For Pedersen, however, the commercial appeal hasn't been enough to change his mind, despite organisers' attempts to secure his participation.

"I have refused a couple of times. You should never say never, but it is the last thing I want to do," said Pedersen.