“I’m racing to win” – But Pedersen admits Vingegaard and Almeida are green jersey rivals

Mads Pedersen refuses to stop attacking. On Stage 13 of the 2025 Vuelta a España, the Dane was once again in the breakaway, making sure to collect valuable points in his ongoing battle for the green jersey. While the stage to the fearsome Alto de l’Angliru was always destined to end in a showdown between the general classification contenders, Pedersen still found a way to leave his mark by targeting the intermediate sprint.

At this year’s Giro d’Italia, Pedersen dominated the points competition and captured four stage victories, but the Vuelta has not been as straightforward. Despite several near misses, he is still waiting for a stage win in Spain. Yet his determination to secure the green jersey has not wavered, and he continues to spend his energy joining moves even on terrain that suits pure climbers rather than sprinters.

By the end of Friday’s stage, Pedersen had boosted his tally to 192 points. His advantage in the classification now stands at 70 points over Jonas Vingegaard, who has surprisingly moved into second place thanks to the race’s mountainous profile. “I wouldn’t call winning the intermediate sprint a victory, but it’s nice to score some points,” Pedersen explained at the finish.

For Pedersen, the target is clear. “I think it’s pretty clear that I’m racing to win, a stage and the points jersey. And I have to compete for that almost every day. Jonas has a good chance of winning the green jersey, and so does João. So I have to score points somewhere.” His words underline how relentless the fight for green has become, with Vingegaard and Almeida still close enough to pose a threat.

What encourages Pedersen is that the gap has grown during this demanding week. “The gap—70 points—is bigger than four days ago, so that’s comfortable. The Angliru was long, and I’m glad I don’t have to fight for the win on a climb like that. I could take it easy and just finish. There were a lot of people, which was nice.”

Pedersen knows the toughest climbs are not his battleground, but the intermediate sprints and flatter finales remain within his grasp. As long as he continues to accumulate points with the same consistency, he has every chance of leaving Spain with another jersey to add to his collection.