“He officially became a knucklehead” – Chris Horner blasts Mads Pedersen and Lidl-Trek after frantic Tour de France tactics
CyclingFriday, 17 July 2026 at 12:04
Chris Horner has accused Mads Pedersen and Lidl-Trek of turning a sound green jersey plan into “knucklehead” racing during the frantic finale to stage 12 of the Tour de France.
Pedersen began the day attempting to protect his lead in the points classification from Jasper Philipsen, Biniam Girmay and the other leading sprinters. Lidl-Trek wanted to force a strong break clear late in the stage, remove the large points haul available at the finish and avoid leaving Pedersen dependent on another direct sprint. “That was the dream, but it didn’t work out,” Pedersen admitted after finishing ninth.
Horner agreed with the principle behind the plan. The 2013 Vuelta a Espana winner believed Lidl-Trek could consider the stage a success even without winning, provided a breakaway stayed clear and prevented Pedersen’s rivals from collecting heavily.
“The first objective: get this breakaway away from all of the sprinters back there so Mads Pedersen does not lose green jersey points,” Horner explained during his post-stage analysis on his YouTube channel. “You are not trying to win the stage as the first priority. The second priority is to win the stage.”
His approval faded as Lidl-Trek’s attacks repeatedly stalled and Pedersen began spending his own energy.
Simmons attacks but repeatedly eases off
Quinn Simmons was among the most aggressive riders as stage 12 reached its rolling final section. The American champion launched several attacks but repeatedly reduced his effort after looking back and finding nobody prepared to work with him. “I love his attacking. I love the strategy from Lidl-Trek,” Horner said. “He’s being a knucklehead by shutting the gas off.”
Each pause allowed the sprinter teams to settle back into their chase rather than being forced to close a sustained move. Horner believed Simmons needed to continue driving regardless of whether the other riders came through. “When you shut the gas off, it allows the peloton with the sprinter teams to stay at a steady pace,” he continued.
Simmons attacked four or five times on the final categorised climb, but none of the moves gained enough distance to survive. During one effort, he spotted his father beside the road with an American flag and reached across to give him a high five.
“It was a little special moment there for the stars and stripes jersey as he’s throwing back down on the pedals,” Horner said. “But he was still a knucklehead for backing off the throttle too many times.”
With Simmons unable to establish the separation Lidl-Trek wanted, Pedersen began launching attacks of his own.
Simmons is one of the most recognisable riders in the peloton
Pedersen joins the attacks before the sprint
Pedersen made his first move with around 16 kilometres remaining. Horner accepted the initial attempt, given the Dane’s strength in Classics-style finales and the possibility that a small group could still escape through the technical roads. “One attack for Mads Pedersen, okay, I’ll live with it,” he said. “He’s a Classics-type specialist. We’re 16 kilometres out.”
Pedersen attacked again at around 14 kilometres to go and then made a third effort with approximately 12 kilometres remaining. Horner believed the likelihood of a successful escape had fallen too far by then to justify the energy being spent.
“When Mads Pedersen throws in his third attack, officially you guys are knuckleheads at this moment,” Horner said. “You want to save your legs now because the idea that a break is going to go up the road with 12 kilometres to go is not looking likely.”
Mattias Skjelmose and another Lidl-Trek rider kept the attacks coming inside the final 11 kilometres, but the team never created the sustained separation Horner believed was required.
For Horner, that was the difference between an ambitious plan and a wasteful one. Lidl-Trek had the numbers and the right objective, but too many interrupted efforts left Pedersen spending energy without ever forcing the sprinter teams into the prolonged chase the strategy required.
Pedersen’s ninth place did little to strengthen his green jersey position, leaving Lidl-Trek with the exact sprint they had spent the finale trying to avoid.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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