DENIA (Spain) – It's enough to watch him move around the buses or in the hotel rooms, talking to the coaches, comparing notes with his teammates. In the winter retreat of the Lidl Trek in Denia, Mads Pedersen is a natural leader, recognized and followed, and he behaves as such. He never raises his voice, but every gesture conveys direction. The staff listens to him, the riders follow him. He's one of those "super engines" of modern cycling, capable of staying at the top in different eras, adapting to an ever-changing context (Lidl-Trek photo at the top).
Having just turned 30, the Dane has already won a world championship, stages and jerseys in the Grand Tours, and major classics, but not yet a Monument. It seems incredible, but it's true... A foreign rider, yes, but also beloved in Italy. His status has grown enormously. after the last one Tour of Italy, course as an absolute protagonist: four stage wins, the pink jersey on the first day, and the cyclamen jersey worn all the way to Rome. A leader, both inside and outside the race.
First the classics…
It's when talking about the classics that Pedersen really lights up the eye. «This year I want a Monument». 2026, in his thoughts, revolves around that block of races that have always defined the career of a rider like him. Sanremo, Flanders, and Roubaix are a comprehensive project. And the team is completely behind him and for him in achieving this goal.
«I am convinced – says Mads – that there is still room for improvement, even at these levels. We often talk about that famous "one or two percent" that can make the difference between reaching the podium and winning a Monument. I'm even willing to give up something, even some of my pure sprint speed, to become an even more complete rider. With the rivals we have now... you have to change something, raise the bar."
Changing something also means working on the materials. Not only has Pogacar already gone on a scouting expedition on the Roubaix rocks, but Lidl-Trek hasn't stopped either.We worked a lot on the tyres “We’re also testing a system to regulate the pressures,” Pedersen said. “But it’s a system we might not even use if it turns out to be a casprint.” The Dane didn’t use the term casprint, but we assure you he got the point across!
The great rivals
Comparison with the rulers of this era is inevitable. Pedersen almost looks like a “Matthews 2.0“The Australian is also a formidable talent, he has an uncommon consistency and is competitive on many terrains, but along the way he found himself: first Gilbert, then the best Sagan, then the best Alaphilippe and now Pogacar. For Pedersen on the one hand there is Tadej pogacar, and how it transforms the way of running even the fastest classics like the Sanremo, and on the other Mathieu van der Poel, with him it's a real battle to see who has the most watts. Pedersen respects them, studies them, but does not tolerate them.
«They have more talent than me, it's true – continues Pedersen – but I still think they can be beaten. No one is unbeatable. Trying to win these races is why I'm here, why the team pays me. At Roubaix, the race of my dreams, their rivalry can become a tactical advantage for the others, but races like this are never written in advance. There are millions of variables, unexpected events, and top-level opponents like Wout Van Aert or Filippo Ganna, not just Mathieu or Tadej.
"A little better at the Sanremo: I feel like I have the right cards. I'll have to adapt to the various tactical situations. For example, I know I need to improve on the 10-minute effort required to complete the Cipressa. When I saw what Filippo Ganna did last year, I thought I can do it too.If I didn't believe I could do it, why should Lidl-Trek believe I could?
The pact with Milan
But 2026 will also be the year of the Tour de France for Pedersen and another declared goal: the green jersey. The former world champion doesn't hide it and says it with great clarity. In the Grand Tours, however, nothing is simple when the team includes other top-level riders who more or less want the same things as you. The inevitable reference is to Jonathan Milan.
«With Milan – says the Dane – we made a pact. This year, I'll be returning to France and he'll be at the Giro. Jonathan is a real talent. He's a real sprinter, I struggle to beat people like Merlier or Philipsen. Plus – quick pause – he rightly went to the Tour with a train... And here a hint of controversy seems to creep in. Maybe it was just our gut feeling...
Clearly, with Ayuso aiming for the overall, the green jersey project could prove more complicated than expected. It's not a given that Mads will have any men who can help him, while Milan this year had a team all to themselves. However, Pedersen has accepted the situation and is well aware of it. Let's remember that two years ago he made himself available to Ciccone to help him win the polka-dot jersey. This shows that he has a certain team spirit and expects the same.
In this sense he spoke a lot about the young man Mathias Vacek, a luxury gregarious also with a view to the future, and of his friend and compatriot Soren Kragh Andersen, who told a Danish colleague that he feels more ready to help Mads in the classics and hilly stages than in bunch sprints. And another Dane has joined his court: Mattias Norsgaard, strongly desired by Pedersen himself.
The team and the arrival of Ayuso
Mads Pedersen, the leader, as we mentioned at the beginning. What the Lidl-Trek head coach told us is very interesting. Josu Larrazabal: «Over the years, we have had many leaders and great captains and I can say that Pedersen is one of them. In the mini retreat we had in Germany a few weeks ago, Mads was the first to welcome Juan Ayuso. He literally took him by the arm. A symbolic gesture that says more than many words. Pedersen isn't afraid of strong talent; in fact, he wants them by his side. He knows that a team only grows if leaders take responsibility for integrating, not dividing.
The Basque coach's words are well-founded, but to prevent them from backfiring, a leader with personality and charisma is needed. And Pedersen already has these qualities. They're recognized. "At Lidl-Trek, there are now big visions," Mads continued, "big dreams, big goals. With Ayuso, we can win Grand Tours, and we have the right guys for sprints, classics, and shorter stage races. We're complete. Ayuso is a talent who can give us a lot."
The arrival of experienced riders like Mattias Norsgaard serves to provide immediate solidity, while youngsters like Vacek represent the future, to be guided and protected. "If I have to win those races," Mads concludes, "I have to having people around who know those races, who has experience and we couldn't ask Vacek for this."
