A plan that went somewhat differently than expected

When entering the world of Instagram as a newcomer, it is well known that it can take time to build a solid follower base. Many strive to gain more followers because it is satisfying to know that others appreciate the content one shares. At the same time, it is also enriching when one's posts reach a wider audience, creating opportunities for increased interaction and connection with various people who share the same interests. Dreaming of engaging with a diverse online community and perhaps even organizing real-life meetups for enjoyable bike rides is an inspiring thought.

"Tadej Pogačar discovered Magnus Pedersen's post and chose to share it on his own Instagram profile with the words Follow him to make him sweat a bit"

One of those who wanted a few more followers on Instagram is the 17-year-old Danish cyclist Magnus Pedersen (@mpedersen21), who created his profile on Instagram in November 2023. Therefore, at the beginning of January, he decided to make a reel where he announced that he would ride one kilometer for every 10 followers he gained from that reel. This was a pretty sensible idea since we all know that followers don't just come pouring in by themselves. But something unexpected happened, something he probably couldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams. One of the world's biggest cyclists, Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar), discovered Magnus Pedersen's post and chose to share it on his own Instagram profile with the words, "Follow him to make him sweat a bit." This resulted in a real follower boom for Magnus. We can all probably imagine Tadej's smile when he decided to share Magnus's post, and surely he thought: 'Let's get this young guy to ride some kilometers.'

Magnus Pedersen's followers increased from 200 to 12.000

When Magnus made his Story, he had 200 followers, but he ended up gaining a little over 12.000 new followers—a wild development and a testament to what Instagram can achieve when others find your content exciting. Magnus decided to cycle the approximately 1.200 km by dividing it into 150 km per day over a period of 8 days. It's worth noting that the 1.200 km were actually ridden on his home trainer, and anyone who trains on one knows that it’s much harder since you remain in a static position on the bike. So, huge thumbs up to Magnus—well done, even though he probably thinks it was all worth it.

 I asked Magnus some questions to hear how things have been going with his Instagram and his cycling since the Tadej-gate. I thought it would be interesting to see how he has experienced the developments since the unexpected attention from one of cycling's biggest stars. Read on to see what he has to share with us!

How did you react when you first discovered that Tadej Pogačar himself had shared your post on his Instagram profile? I imagine one would double-check just to make sure they saw it right?

"I definitely did, more than once if I'm honest. It was otherwise a completely normal Wednesday after school, when I noticed something different on the profile, namely that someone had shared my video on their story. It was the first time I experienced that, and when I clicked on it, unbelievably, it was Tadej Pogačar (I can tell you, it gave me goosebumps)."

How was it for you to see your follower base grow from around 200 to over 12.000 in such a short time? That must have been a pretty cool experience?

"It was definitely one of the wildest moments that I'll remember for many years. It happened at a time when, for the first time in several months, I started getting 1-2 followers a day, which compared to the jump of almost 10,000 followers in a day is pretty insane. I was used to getting around 10 views per video, so it was really a big change that I had to get used to. It definitely took some time, and I'm not sure if I still fully understand it to this day, where it still feels very unreal. It also led to a lot of inquiries from many of the biggest media outlets in Denmark, which was pretty crazy. However, I had to politely decline as I wasn't quite ready for it and also didn't feel like my story was worth telling."

What did you think when you realized you had to cycle 1.200 km? Did you ever imagine you would end up with so many followers and have to cycle that far?

"At that time, as I said, I had around 200 followers, which means about 20 km. I had actually planned to do it in an afternoon after school, which didn't quite end up being possible. Now the problem was that I just had to tell my parents that I had an Instagram profile with over 10,000 followers and that for the next week, I would spend about 5-6 hours a day on the bike. It wasn't quite easy to convince them that it was a good idea."

"I was tired, my legs hurt, and I had absolutely no desire to get on the bike, so the second stage ended up being 'only' 120 km."

All of us who maintain our fitness during the winter on a home trainer know that it feels twice as hard and twice as long compared to in the real world. How was your experience cycling 1.200 km over 8 days on your home trainer? Did you face any challenges along the way?

"When I started the challenge, I remember the first day as fun and challenging. I had a good friend on the sidelines to keep my spirits up. However, the big problem arose on the second day. I was tired, my legs hurt, and I had absolutely no desire to get on the bike, so the second stage ended up being "only" 120 km. Therefore, I would like to extend a big thank you to those who motivated me in the comment section, and especially to my buddy, who actually ended up cycling 1.000 km out of the 1.200 with me. It was definitely crucial for me to complete the challenge. Otherwise, I also had the usual problems such as sore bottoms, an extremely large food consumption, and fitting it all in with school."

What motivated you to start sharing your cycling life on Instagram, and how has it evolved after gaining so many followers?

"Generally, I have always been interested in making videos and somehow expressing my creativity through them. At the same time, loving sports, it just made sense for me to document my journey in the cycling world, where I hoped to inspire others but also for others to be able to relate to what I was doing."

Can you recommend some good Instagram profiles within cycling or cycling lifestyle that you follow and draw inspiration from?

"If I have to mention one that I think stands out from other profiles, it must be Lars Ytting Bak, who tells stories in his very own way that I otherwise would never have heard. Otherwise, I follow many other profiles like Albert Philipsen, Lukáš Dvořák, and Archie Atkinson, all of whom are great inspirations to me."

On your Instagram profile, you write that you dream of one day participating in the Tour De France. Is it just a dream, or is a professional career something you actively train and work towards?

"Right now, I'm still in my second year in the sport and am obviously still far from my goal. However, I work every day to get better, which means that most of my free time is spent on the bike. I have a small group of friends I train with up to 5 times a week, where we challenge each other in different aspects of the sport. However, it's also about enjoying the sport for me, as that's why I started 2 years ago."

What would you say is your primary strength as a cyclist? Do you see yourself as a time trialist, a climber, a sprinter, or perhaps an all-rounder?

"I would really like to say that my strength lies in the hills, as it's definitely the most fun to beat friends there. However, I must say that being 197 cm tall is not an advantage when I meet smaller riders with approximately the same experience. I also love sprinting, especially one-on-one, as it really shows who can push their legs the most, so maybe I'm an all-round rider with good exclusivity."

What does 2024 have in store for you? Do you have any races on the calendar, exciting cycling trips, or anything else you'd like to share with us?

"I hope 2024 brings a lot of new challenges and experiences. I have already participated in the first race, which went okay, although it's always difficult to be completely satisfied. I have also planned several races, which you can find on my profile. The big highlight for me this year will be the summer vacation, where my brother and I are heading south to France to experience the fantastic nature there. I really look forward to that and will definitely document it as well."

If you could go on a bike ride with a famous person, living or dead, who would it be, and why?

"The boring answer here would be Tadej Pogačar himself, which would definitely be such an amazing experience that I couldn't even imagine it. However, I have always been a big fan of Wout Van Aert, mainly because in many ways he reminds me of myself and was one of the riders who motivated me to start. When I say 'reminds me of', unfortunately, it's not because I have his abilities. However, he is a tall guy at around 78 kg, which I am too. Cycling-wise, I also see him in roughly the same category as I mentioned earlier, namely a bit of an all-rounder with good exclusivity. It would definitely also be a dream come true if I ever got to meet him one day."

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