"I'm looking forward to a long day of racing" - Mads Pedersen circles first of Vuelta's attricious days as opportunity to strike

Cycling
Sunday, 23 August 2026 at 03:00
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Mads Pedersen starts the 2026 Vuelta a Espana as one of the names to follow in the battle for green jersey, and winning the coveted special kit that means a lot of extra homework in case Pedersen struggles to perform consistently in bunch sprints.

Good or bad start to Vuelta?

In that regard, the opening 9.4-kilometer timetrial was a perfect opportunity to get a head-start on his points classification rivals. How did it go?
Well, Pedersen himself doesn't have to be disappointed with his 15th place, even though that awards mere 1 point towards the ranking. Meanwhile, one of Pedersen's potential rivals Wout Van Aert arrived 8th and now has a 7-point advantage in points classification led by stage winner Tadej Pogacar.
"It went well. I think that if I'm going to have any hope of competing for the win in something like this, I'll probably have to practice a little more on the time trial bike than I do. All in all, I think it was a good time trial, and I got my legs ready for tomorrow, which is a significantly bigger goal," Mads Pedersen told TV 2 Sport at the finish line.

"If I win tomorrow"

While any points scored against the clock today were more of a bonus, the real work starts for Pedersen begins tomorrow. The second stage from Monaco to Manosque is far from easiest at this Vuelta with distance of 214 kilometers and 3,000 meters of elevation to conquer. And yet, it seems like a perfect day for a versatile rider like Pedersen... and Van Aert. Unless Pogacar decides he wants the win for himself...
Mads Pedersen beat Wout Van Aert at a similar finish at last year's Giro d'Italia
Mads Pedersen beat Wout Van Aert at a similar finish at last year's Giro d'Italia
"There was no reason not to give it the gas today. I could have been within five seconds, and that's enough if I win tomorrow. But it's 15 seconds now, and you can't take that as bonus seconds. It is what it is, and it's not a goal we came for. I'm completely calm and looking forward to a long day of racing tomorrow and hopefully racing for the win."
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