Mads Pedersen changes Tour de France preparation - Former world champion won't be at Baloise belgium Tour as he picks new race

Mads Pederen has made a late change to his preparations for the 2026 Tour de France, making a surprise change that will mean he won't appear at the Baloise Belgium Tour. Seemingly the perfect tune-up for the Danish rider, he will instead focus on two major goals before July.

Pedersen is now expected to turn his attention to the Danish National Championships, where he is scheduled to compete in both the individual time trial and road race. The time trial will take place on June 26th and the road race on June 28th - meaning he would wrap up his preparations a week before the Grand Depart.

According to reports, Pedersen's training has not been impacted and the move is just a change in his racing program, meaning that he should arrive at the Tour de France with no fitness concerns.

Pedersen has endured a mixed season so far, initially suffering a broken left wrist and a fractured right collarbone at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana early in the year before bouncing back at the classics.

Fourth in Milano-Sanremo, fifth in Tour of Flanders and seventh in Paris-Roubaix once again proved a consistent spring campaign for the 30-year-old. However, since then he only raced the Boucles de la Mayenne in late May - taking a second place in stage 3 and fourth overall.

He returns to the Tour de France after sweeping up victories in the 2025 Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana. In the Giro, he took four victories as well as the points classification. Later in the year, he grabbed a Vuelta stage win and also took home the points classification.

Pedersen is expected to challenge for the points classification, having never won the illustrious green jersey.

In a hugely competitive sprint field, he faces stiff competition from the likes of Tim Merlier, Jasper Philipsen, Wout van Aert and Biniam Girmay among other contenders.