"It was a masterpiece" - Bruyneel salutes Pedersen and Lidl-Trek at Tour de France and labels him green jersey favourite
Cycling
Stage 4 of the 2026 Tour de France delivered one of the most polished collective displays of this edition. Mads Pedersen capped a masterfully managed break by Lidl-Trek into Foix, winning ahead of teammate Quinn Simmons and Spain’s Raúl García Pierna. Beyond the Dane’s triumph, the day underlined the team’s outstanding tactical strength and opened a new scenario in the general classification with Norway’s Torstein Træen in yellow.
On the The Move podcast, Johan Bruyneel did not hide his admiration for Lidl-Trek’s blueprint. For the former directeur sportif, the team’s display was simply “a masterpiece,” a genuine tactical tour de force.
Bruyneel particularly highlighted how the team read every phase of the race. From the formation of the large break to the decisive climb, Lidl-Trek always had numbers with Mads Pedersen, Mathias Vacek, and Quinn Simmons. That superiority allowed them to play multiple cards while the rest were forced to chase.
According to the Belgian, the decisive moment came on the final climb. “It was the move of the day,” he said, referring to the joint effort by Vacek and Simmons to keep Pedersen sheltered to the summit. He added that the calculated effort to crest, then immediately reorganize towards the finish, was key to sealing the win.
Spencer Martin fully agreed. The American analyst called the strategy “the right decision,” especially when some fans argued Quinn Simmons should attack solo for the stage.
Pedersen win became inevitable
Martin noted that once Pedersen cleared the final ascent with the lead group, the outcome felt inevitable. In his words, when the Dane hit the last metres “no one could beat him.” His final kick confirmed he remained the fastest among the survivors of an extremely demanding stage.
Bruyneel believes that skill set makes the Dane the prime contender for green. In fact, he said Pedersen is now “the big favourite for the green jersey,” a view backed by the sizeable points lead he gained with this victory.
Martin also underlined the winner’s exceptional physical level. He explained that Pedersen combines rare power and endurance, able to ride over selective climbs and still keep an explosive sprint. To frame it vividly: when Pedersen reaches the final kilometre with a reduced group, he is like a shark with his rivals right where he wants them.
Another point both commentators stressed was Lidl-Trek’s collective intelligence. While Vacek skipped certain turns to save energy, Simmons sacrificed any personal ambition to work for his leader. That tactical discipline shut down all attacks and set up Pedersen’s decisive launch.
Mads Pedersen wins Stage 4 of the 2026 Tour de France.
The key to Pedersen’s triumph
Bruyneel even admitted that, seeing three Lidl-Trek riders among the ten survivors of the break, he briefly thought another teammate might attack to win the stage. However, the team never deviated from the initial plan and committed to delivering Pedersen to the final 300 metres.
Stage 4 also reshaped the general classification. Thanks to the break’s large margin, Norway’s Torstein Træen pulled on yellow with almost eight minutes over Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.
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Both analysts believe this scenario particularly benefits UAE Team Emirates, since another team must now shoulder much of the controlling workload for several days.
Martin called this an excellent development for Pogacar, while Bruyneel went further, saying the leader is “a great ally” for the Emirati squad, as Uno-X will proudly defend a historic yellow jersey.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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