Mads Pedersen - "I hope to win some more here " after victory at Baloise Belgium Tour

Mads Pedersen has shown that he is in peak condition two weeks before the Tour de France begins in Copenhagen. On Wednesday, he won the first stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour, which took place on steep terrain near Maarkedal.

"It was a very tough stage, and it was also one of the hottest days of the year. Normally I'm not so good in the heat, This was really a classic-style ride, and then the heat came on top of it. That made it very difficult. The final was very tough with that climb at 2.5 kilometers from the finish," the Dane said in a post-race interview.

The explosive stage wasn't ideal for the sprinters, however some found their way into the front group that went to battle for the stage win. "And the sprint was hard too. Jasper Philipsen attacked early on. He immediately created a gap, but luckily he stopped and I was able to pass him," he added.

"I am proud of the team, they did a good job. It is therefore nice to give them a victory. The form is what it should be. It looks good towards the Tour, but now I'm focusing on this race. I hope to win some more here. That first yellow jersey is one of my goals in the Tour. That would be a dream, but I also know it's going to be hard." he concluded.