Lidl-Trek prioritize Mads Pedersen's green jersey, but that does not benefit everyone - "They are allowed to express their frustration"
CyclingThursday, 23 July 2026 at 16:32
On stage 15, Quinn Simmons came close to winning on the Plateau de Solaison. The Lidl-Trek rider is, for a second year in a row, showing the form of his life at the Tour de France but despite this, the American champion hasn't been able to bring the result he dreams of. Much is due to team orders, as explained.
Simmons puts in great work but has little freedom
The American rider won a stage at the recent Tour Auvergne - Rhône Alpes, and brought his best form to France. He's been a key part of Mads Pedersen's hunt for the green jersey: Chasing down breakaways, forming breakaways with the Dane, providing leadouts and even sprinting against his rival Jasper Philipsen at times to try and steal points.
This excludes the work he's also been doing for Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose, currently fifth and sixth in the overall classification. A golden domestique - awarded the best of the Tour 12 months ago, in fact - he is being one of the race's most prominent figures.
But chances of winning a stage are now very slim. Whilst the team is bringing the benefit from his work, Simmons' words show that he would've enjoyed having more freedom.
“The team has made it obvious that they care more about Mads winning the green jersey than about me winning a stage,” he said recently. “At the end of the day, they write my paycheck, so I have to do what I am told.”
On stage 15, the American champion was not far from a major win, despite the mountainous terrain in which he is not often a specialist.
Quinn Simmons has been close, but hasn't been able to win at this Tour de France
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Team ambition above individual
“I understand the frustration, and I think the same applies to Mathias Vacek,” team DS De Jongh said in an interview with In de Leiderstrui. “But we came here with a clear objective, which is to win the green jersey with Mads. They knew that beforehand, and they also know we need them to help Mads achieve it.”
The team has had that as its priority, and after stage 18, Pedersen will still be having a lead over Jasper Philipsen. The team needs the result, so as to justify the work of his teammates.
“It might be his final chance to win the green jersey. The riders are sticking to the plan, which is the most important thing. They are allowed to express their frustration. There is nothing wrong with that.
“But in the end, we will continue doing what we are doing. Quinn and Mathias are athletes who want to win, and they still have long careers ahead of them.”
However, in the future Mads Pedersen may not have a long run at the Tour de France, and this freedom will ultimately exist later on in the careers of both classics specialists.
“When our focus moves more towards the general classification, they will get their opportunities. We want to win the Tour de France one day. If that becomes the main objective, there will be less room to focus on green, and that will create more opportunities for the attackers.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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