Yesterday Mads Würtz Schmidt won the first Danish gold medal in the U23 class, a victory that is likely to open new doors for the former junior world champion.

Würtz Schmidt covered the 30km time trial in Richmond in 37.10 while the German duo of Maximillian Schachmann and Lennard Kamna completed the podium. In 2011, the Dane was junior world champion in Copenhagen, but four years later and 7,000 kilometers away from Copenhagen, it happened again.

"It feels crazy and crazier than last time. It's special to win a rainbow jersey, especially in the U23 class, he told CyclingQuotes. "I have been a little modest in the media, but I said to the coach: 'I won't be happy with anything else than a win'. I have been targeting this since Nationals.

Mads Würtz Schmidt started early and therefore spent a long time in the hot seat.

"I just had to win this jersey. I shivered like crazy during the 30 minutes. I could almost not hold my phone and I could not hit the keys," he said. "I rode hard in the first half of the route and went full gas in the headwind on the last lap."

After the Junior World Championships in 2011, Mads Würtz Schmidt's track record has not been impressive, at least until 2015. This year a lot has changed and now he is achieving one top result after the other.

"I've done things a bit different in my training. I have been more serious and just accepted that it's a tough world and very hard to win races. You have to a lot of work at home. I have lost 3-4kg, have become leaner and gained more experience. I've got another basis from my training and my level has just been much higher."

The big  question now is whether Mads Würtz Schmidt will take the step from the continental coloQuick team to the professional world.

"I don't know," he explained. "I believe that I can make the right choice. It must be the right team and the right offer, not just because I have become world champion. So it has to be the right offer for me to make the step. It is still likely that I will remain at a lower level."

Orica-GreenEdge have reportedly offered Mads Würtz Schmidt a contract for the 2017 season but maybe that offer will now be changed.

"Now we have to see what will happen during the next month."