"If my sports director tells me to ride, then I'll ride": Mads Pedersen doesn't second-guess his tasks
Cycling
It was a strange stalemate among GC riders in stage 11. Although the stage developed in a fashion that would favour brave attack, only Richard Carapaz was willing to gamble on the last climb - and was rewarded. Behind the Ecuadorian, Lidl-Trek's Giulio Ciccone rounded off the podium in a sprint.
The tactics of Lidl-Trek will have many shaking their heads. Initially, Mads Pedersen helped to plant Mathias Vacek in the breakaway, but the stage turned out to be too hard for the Czech rider. The Dane later returned to the reduced group of favourites and immediately set a heavy pace in the descent, seemingly setting up an attack for leader Giulio Ciccone. But that never came.
After the stage, the wearer of Maglia Ciclamino was asked about the gameplan: "I'm just doing my job. If my sports director tells me to ride, then I'll ride. He's my boss and he pays me," Pedersen argued.
After all, it was the best way to put himself to use at that part of the stage, Pedersen explains. "These long climbs are horrible. I have to climb at my own pace. So when I'm riding in front, I can keep the pace I want. If the others want to pass me, I let them!"
Pedersen was also asked about whether Lidl-Trek should be asked by other teams to carry the weight of the race when the potentially dangerous group for GC broke away: "The closest rider in the breakaway overall was four minutes away, so for UAE Team Emirates, it wasn't a threat. In their position, we would have done the same."
We're past the halfway mark of this Giro; is Pedersen happy with his Giro so far? "I'm never satisfied. If there's an opportunity, I try to seize it. So we'll put a plan in place and try to win again tomorrow."
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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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- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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