"I burned so many matches…" - Mads Pedersen makes big climbing impression en route to Green Jersey win at Paris-Nice 2025
Cycling
Mads Pedersen has long been thought of as one of the more well-rounded of the 'sprinters' in the peloton, with a number of GC wins added to his palmares over the years. At Paris-Nice 2025 this week though, the Danish star of Lidl-Trek has been climbing with some of the very best in the world, with Pedersen rewarded by a Green Jersey win.
On the final stage, the Points Classification was still in the balance. In an attempt to reaffirm his lead at the top of the standings, Pedersen was relentlessly attacking, despite the mountainous parcours that the peloton were tasked with. "I wanted to go in the break and do everything I could to get the 10 points in the intermediate sprint. If I could do that without Matteo Jorgenson scoring, then the jersey was secured no matter the result on the finish line," explained Pedersen in his post-stage interview afterwards.
That was easier said than done though, and in the end it required arguably the best climbing performance of his career for Pedersen. "It’s super nice to win the green jersey. I already wore it a few times in the race but lost it on the last day. Now I can finally say I won the sprinters’ jersey in Paris-Nice," he concluded delightedly. "I never thought I could win the stage. I burned so many matches… I knew on the last climb I wouldn’t be able to do it. With this shape, going into next week, with Sanremo and the classics, it’s really nice. Now we just have to stay healthy and keep going."
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💛@matteojorg🤝@Mads__Pedersen💚#ParisNice pic.twitter.com/I4Mg9TIsJK
— Paris-Nice (@ParisNice) March 16, 2025
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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