"I lost a few too many points" - Mads Pedersen endures brutal week in Tour de France but still leads green jersey race
CyclingMonday, 20 July 2026 at 15:33
As the Tour de France heads into the second and final rest day of what has been a gruelling edition, Mads Pedersen is still sporting the prestigious green jersey as he and Lidl-Trek try to retain his lead.
Long removed from his opening week stage win, Pedersen's back was against the wall in week two with three mountain stages, two sprint stages and a definitive breakaway day, making points classification opportunities at a premium for the Danish rider.
At the beginning of week two, Pedersen held a lead of 45 points over Biniam Girmay while at the end of the week, his lead had sunk to 31 points but not from Girmay as Jasper Philipsen enjoyed some positive results.
Lidl-Trek pushed hard throughout the week, attempting to disrupt the stage 12 sprint before Pedersen and the sprinters battled for the intermediate sprint the following day.
For Pedersen, surviving the weekend was just as important and the classics specialist was happy with how Sunday's stage unfolded: "Honestly, the day didn’t go too badly. We were actually hoping the 17 kilometers before the sprint would be harder, but it wasn’t enough to make the difference ,” Pedersen said.
Mads Pedersen
Pedersen reflects on green jersey battle
Reflecting on the week, Pedersen believes he dropped more points than he wanted, but sees greater opportunity to seal green in La Grand Boucle over the final days.
“In the end, it was a tough week where I lost a few too many points, but I still have a 31-point lead and we’re now heading into a week where the points distribution is more favourable to me."
Pedersen eyes stage 17 as a key chance for success, but envisions the battle for the green jersey raging to Paris. Three ascents of the Montmartre climb on the final stage could be set to favour Pedersen as pure sprinters are likely to be put in difficulty.
"The rest of the day was good: I hung on as long as I could before easing off. It’s not over yet. The battle will rage all the way to Paris. Wednesday is a day that suits me well, so I’ll need to be fully focused for stage 17.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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