Casper Pedersen, the 29-year-old cyclist from Copenhagen, will not be participating in the Tour de France this year, despite being a reserve for his Quick-Step team. The Danish Championship bronze winner was not selected for the final squad announced on Tuesday.

Pedersen acknowledged that while he had hoped to be included after being named in the preliminary squad, the Tour de France was not originally part of his winter plan. He remains in top shape due to consistent training and is now focusing on alternative races.

Possible races on Pedersen’s schedule include the Vuelta a España, the Tour of Poland, and the Tour of Slovakia. His program has not been finalized due to his reserve status for the Tour de France, and he anticipates discussions with the team in the coming week to determine his race calendar.

Pedersen expects to have opportunities to race for his own chances, which is what the team is planning for.

Quick-Step’s Tour de France team will be led by Remco Evenepoel, who will aim for a high overall ranking, and Tim Merlier, who will compete for stage wins in the sprints. The team’s strategy of focusing on multiple objectives made squad selection competitive.

Pedersen has previously served as a support rider for Evenepoel and is capable of leading out sprints.

Recently, Pedersen showcased strong performance at the Copenhagen Sprint and secured a third-place finish at the Danish Championships.

He confirmed his readiness and excellent form but did not anticipate changes to the Tour squad.

Pedersen made his Tour de France debut in 2021 and participated again in 2022. In 2023, he was forced to withdraw due to a broken collarbone sustained at the Danish Championships. He returned to the Tour squad last year but broke his collarbone again and had to abandon the race after the third stage.