“I think they should shut their mouths” – Fired-up Mads Pedersen slams those who doubt his readiness to take on Pogacar & Van der Poel in 2026 Classics
Cycling
Mads Pedersen is not interested in playing down expectations ahead of the 2026 Classics. After a 2025 season that repeatedly put him head to head with Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, the Lidl-Trek leader believes the idea that those riders are untouchable no longer holds up.
The Dane’s campaign placed him firmly among cycling’s elite. Across the spring Classics, he lined up against the sport’s dominant figures six times, winning Gent-Wevelgem and stepping onto the podium at the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the E3 Saxo Classic. Later in the year, he turned the Giro d Italia into his personal playground, winning four stages and securing the maglia ciclamino in Rome.
For Pedersen, that body of work answers questions about where he belongs. “It’s simple. I don’t have to argue with them, they have their opinions, I have my opinions,” he says in conversation with TNT Sports. “I have shown that it’s possible to beat Mathieu. Today is a different story, but he is a star of cycling. Not only in this generation, but I would say forever.”
Pedersen is direct about the effort required to challenge the sport’s biggest names. “Believe me, I try to find this last 1% to beat these guys,” he said. “I’m the guy who’s working my ass off every day.”
That frustration surfaces when his status is questioned. “So everyone that’s arguing against that I’m on the same level as these guys, to be honest, I think they should shut their mouths and try to work the same amount of hours that I do on the bike,” Pedersen said. “Because I’m the one who wants to beat them more than these people want to do.”
Confidence forged at the Giro
Much of that belief was reinforced during a dominant Giro d Italia. Pedersen won four stages, briefly wore the maglia rosa and consistently imposed himself in the toughest sprint finishes of the race.
“The confidence comes from when I start a race,” he explained. “I have done everything in my power to be the best version of myself, and when I have done, I believe that I can win the bike race.”
That confidence does not fade when the start list is stacked. “I also believe that when I start against Mathieu, Wout van Aert, Tadej, and all the others like Ganna, all the other strong riders,” he said. “When I have done everything to perfection, I can beat these guys.”
Pedersen accepts the reality of talent gaps, but not inevitability. “I’m fully aware that some of them are bigger and more talented riders than me,” he said. “It doesn’t mean they’re unbeatable. I have shown that before, and hopefully I can keep showing it.”
2026 focus sharpened on Classics and Tour
Lidl-Trek have already confirmed that Pedersen will return to the Tour de France in 2026 after sitting out this year’s race. His role is clearly defined: chase stage wins and mount a full-scale assault on the green jersey, while Juan Ayuso targets the overall classification.
“The Classics, it’s a given I will do the Classics,” Pedersen said. “And after that I will do the Tour.”
His long-term ambitions leave little room for ambiguity. “The goal for me and the rest of my career is to win a Monument and the green jersey in the Tour,” he said. “Next year that will be the main goal, to win in the Classics and win the green jersey in the Tour.”
Pedersen will share leadership responsibilities with Jonathan Milan, who claimed the green jersey this year while the Dane was absent. He dismissed any suggestion of rivalry. “We get on really well,” he said. “At the end of the day we are racing 75 race days, and we can count two to three races a year where we have to be there together and it can clash.”
Pedersen is pragmatic when hierarchy matters. “If it comes down to a sprint and Johnny is there and we’re sprinting for the win, I’m also not stupid,” he said. “I know Jonny is faster than me.”
That realism extends to team strategy. “The fact that I want to win a Monument doesn’t keep my ego in a position where I would say I’ll never do a lead-out for Johnny,” Pedersen said. “I’m smart enough and can see he has a higher chance of winning a race than me.”
As the 2026 Classics approach, Pedersen’s stance is clear. He respects cycling’s dominant figures, but he no longer accepts the idea that they cannot be beaten. “It’s tough in cycling right now,” he said. “But I’m the one who wants to beat them.”
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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- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
- Love this guy. He is such a pure racer.mij07-11-2026
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