"I spent quite a few bullets" - Mads Pedersen tries to maximize his points classification lead also during Tourmalet stage
Cycling
The sixth stage of 2026 Tour de France was the first proper mountain test for all participants, and the general classification has immediately reshuffled entirely. But none of that was much of a concern to Mads Pedersen, who successfully defended his green jersey.
Pedersen was active from the start of today's stage, and managed to grab full 25 points on an intermediate sprint, further extending his lead. However the Dane was not quite content with how the situation behind him played out, as his opponents managed to grab important points behind him:
"It was definitely hard points to get today. I hoped that Jasper [Philipsen], [Biniam] Girmay and Max Kanter as well wouldn’t be able to pass the climb, because Netcompany Ineos were pulling so hard, but they came back and scored points as well. Still, I gained points. In the end, it was quite a good day, but I spent a few bullets on it."
Afterwards, Pedersen dropped back into the gruppetto, focusing on a survival rather than the day's result. His eyes were already set on stages 7 and 8 where bunch sprints await: "Luckily, tomorrow is a sprint stage," he nodded at the finish line.
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It's about days like these
Pedersen further highlights that stages like today's will be important on his quest for Green jersey. As he points out himself, scoring large sums of points in bunch sprints is not quite his cup of tea, thus the focus on hard stages like stage 6 in order to get ahead of his less versatile rivals.
"It’s about catching any precious points, that’s why I went for full points today."
Mads Pedersen took green after victory in stage 4 of the 2026 Tour de France
Already the seventh place in stage 5 (worth 24 points) was quite a positive outcome for the Lidl-Trek leader.
"Yesterday [stage 5] was damage control, and now we’re going into days with 90 points up for grabs. A lot can change, so every point counts."
While the next two stages are hardly in favor of Pedersen, the 30-year-old might be again on the move on Sunday with what appears to be a breakway stage tailor-made to a fast versatile rider like the Dane.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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