“It was tough. Really tough” – Mads Pedersen pulls off incredible solo Stage 4 win to extend GC lead at 2025 Tour of Denmark

Mads Pedersen isn’t just leading the 2025 Tour of Denmark — he’s owning it. On Stage 4 into Vejle, the Lidl-Trek leader produced a performance that blurred the line between brute force and tactical brilliance, riding solo for the final 30km to claim a second stage win and tighten his grip on the overall classification. It was the kind of effort that only a rider in exceptional form — and with total confidence — dares to attempt.

“We knew it was going to be a hard day — really hard,” Pedersen admitted to the Danish media in his post-stage interview afterwards. “We’d have to take responsibility and open the race ourselves once we got to Vejle.”

That’s exactly what he did. After sparking the initial moves that reignited the race behind the early breakaway, Pedersen was aggressive, relentless, and clinical. When the moment came with 30km to go, he didn’t hesitate. He went solo, and never looked back.

Except, perhaps mentally. Because despite the time gaps and the roaring Danish crowds, the final kilometres weren’t kind. “Around 20–25 kilometres from the finish, I thought I’d probably lost it,” he told DR. “It was close, and it really started to bite in the legs at the end. But when you try and it actually works out, it’s that much sweeter to bring the win home.”

It’s a sentiment that reflects just how hard Pedersen had to go to make it stick. The gap was shrinking — 44 seconds with 20km to go, 35 seconds at 10km — but he never cracked. Not physically, not mentally. The result was a spectacular solo win, Lidl-Trek’s third of the week, and the sort of ride that commands respect even in a field packed with World Tour and national team talent.

And beyond the numbers and the time gaps, there’s something about how Pedersen won that stands out. He’s not racing like a GC leader trying to manage seconds — he’s racing like a man who wants to put his stamp on every stage that matters. This wasn’t about defending a jersey. This was about earning it, again and again. “It was the combination of having the legs, and getting across to the right group — that’s what made a result like this possible.”

With two stages remaining, Pedersen’s lead looks secure barring any payment for this monster effort. But more than his win impresses, it's the style that sticks in the memory.