Mads Pedersen is already content with his showing at Etoile de Bessèges: "We got what we came for. The GC would be a bonus"
Cycling
Lidl-Trek had an excellent Friday as their riders raised hands on three different occasions. Ryan Gibbons kicked off the day by winning the ITT title of South Africa. Jonathan Milan recorded his first victory for the team in Valencia and Mads Pedersen beat his competitors in the sprint in the Etoile de Bessèges to take the overall lead after a defeat from Axel Laurance on the previous stage.
"It was a good day and I'm happy because the boys deserved this win. We are happy and now it's on to tomorrow," the Dane said after the race. Tomorrow a hard stage with final climb to Méjannes-le-Clap (4,4km á 4,6%) awaits the riders.
"I will be attacked tomorrow. It will be a difficult stage and I am not the strongest climber," knows Pedersen. "The competition has to attack me to win the rankings. In any case, we got what we came for: the stage victory. Now it's a matter of trying to preserve what we have. We know it's going to be tough and that's why the GC would be a bonus. But the form is good and of course I have to try it."
After tomorrow's hilly circuit around Méjannes-le-Clap, the race will close with traditional individual time trial of 10,6km with a finish of 2,8km á 5,6% in and around the city of Alès, where final moves in the GC can still be made.
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