"Just not good enough" – Mads Pedersen fails to crack top-10 in Stage 8 sprint at La Vuelta as Green Jersey hopes take a blow

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) fell short in the fast, chaotic sprint finish of Stage 8 at the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, finishing a disappointing 11th after leading the peloton through the intermediate sprint earlier in the day. Despite securing valuable points in the competition for the Green Jersey, Pedersen was candid about his performance in the final stretch.

“It was 13 points to grab at the intermediate sprint, so of course we had to go for it,” Pedersen said after the stage. “But the final sprint just wasn’t good enough. To not even be in the top 10 is not what we hope for.”

Pedersen had been a key figure in the battle for the intermediate sprint, which saw him extend his points classification lead. However, the Danish sprinter struggled when the pace ramped up in the final kilometre and couldn’t find his rhythm, ultimately finishing outside the top 10 as rival Jasper Philipsen took victory.

While securing points in intermediate sprints remains crucial for his Green Jersey bid, Pedersen made it clear that stage victories are his primary objective. “It is what it is. We can’t change the results now. We can only look forward and keep trying to win a stage. I want to win stages,” he added. The disappointment of not being in contention for the stage win was evident, as Pedersen’s ambitions for overall stage victories are still a driving force in his Vuelta campaign.

The fact that he was able to earn points in the intermediate sprint did help mitigate the setback, but it’s clear that Pedersen is aiming higher. “The points in the intermediate sprints are something we need to do while winning is the important thing. That’s part of the game,” he said, acknowledging that balancing both the classification and stage wins is part of the challenge of a three-week Grand Tour.

With the Vuelta entering more difficult stages in the coming days, Pedersen will need to regroup quickly if he’s to challenge for more stage victories. As one of the pre-race favourites in the points classification, the Green Jersey remains within reach, but today’s performance has made clear that Pedersen’s ultimate goal is to be in the mix for the stage wins, not just the points sprints.

Looking ahead, Pedersen’s focus will likely shift back to the road ahead. With limited chances for sprint stages still to come, the Danish rider will be hoping to bounce back and show the form that has earned him multiple Grand Tour victories over the course of his career. But as Stage 8 showed, consistency in both the sprints and overall performance will be key to keeping his Green Jersey aspirations alive.