"It hasn't gotten any easier" - Mads Pedersen welcomes the points-classification rule change with mixed emotions
CyclingFriday, 03 July 2026 at 23:00
In order to shift the balance of points classification battle, ASO has made a change to the points system. Now, there'll be 70 points awarded to winner of "bunch sprint" stages - a change which affects the plans of many participants including Mads Pedersen.
The 30-year-old has already won the points classifications at Vuelta and Giro through consistency rather than top-end speed, and his plan for Grande Boucle was not different. But this change, aimed to promote the pure sprinters' efforts, doesn't play into the Dane's hands at all.
"It was difficult before, and it hasn't gotten any easier. I don't want to give up, because it's still a dream to win the green jersey. It's going to get harder - no doubt about it. We all know that I have a hard time in the really fast sprints with the sprinters who are here," Pedersen says to TV 2 Sport.
Mads Pedersen wins in green jersey at La Vuelta a Espana 2025
It will take a bit of luck
Whilst his own efforts will be key to achieve any success in the upcoming battle, Pedersen hopes that the incredibly stacked sprinter field could neutralize each other in sprints, allowing Pedersen to stay within a firing range for the more versatile stages.
"On the other hand, there are many really good sprinters, and that can play out in my favor if they all distribute the high points between themselves."
Tim Merlier will be one of Pedersen's nightmares in bunch sprints
In stages classified as "slightly hilly" and "hilly", 50 and 30 points will be awarded to winner respectively. That is where Pedersen hopes to get "one up" on his green jesey rivals. But of course, Pedersen doesn't write off mass finishes yet. After all, he's already sprinted to a victory back in 2023. And sometimes, it's not necessarily the fastest man who wins, he highlights.
"Then I can hope that I can pull off a Girmay surprise, like he did two years ago in the sprints, and hit it straight in the ass from the start and score a lot of points."
A positive change
So how does Pedersen view this change in a grand scheme of things?
In principle, the Lidl-Trek star is happy for all his sprinter colleagues to have something to race for all the way through to Paris, even if the traditional sprint finish doesn't 100% return this year with a slightly toned-down Montmartre circuit.
Now, all the suffering in the mountains will be worth it, Pedersen believes:
"It doesn't make much sense when they are 20-30 kilometers behind. It doesn't make sense to destroy yourself all day for nothing."
But as for Pedersen himself, not a whole lot changes. In order to succeed, it'll be necessary to score on every single opportunity.
"So in that way we have revised the plans some of the days. There are some days that will be easier, but there are also some that will be harder. We can make plans from here to the moon, but we just have to score as many points as we possibly can. In the flat sprints it's about minimizing the loss and then making up for them in everything else, he states."
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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