"There are other priorities now when I do the Grand Tours" - Mads Pedersen completes green jersey treble and re-focuses for Vuelta a Espana

Monday, 27 July 2026 at 19:00

Mads Pedersen is relieved to tick off the Tour de France green jersey from his shortlist. Adding the points win at the Tour to his Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana collection, the Danish rider has vowed to re-focus his grand tour goals going forward.

With the Lidl-Trek rider looks et to race the Vuelta a Espana at the end of August, he has had his fill of the points classification as he hinted at a different Pedersen set to take on the Spanish grand tour.

However, the Tour de France is still firmly in his mind after his stellar final week saw him take points at every intermediate sprint to seal the jersey despite not winning a bunch sprint. He dedicated the win to outgoing team manager Luca Guercilena.

"It was important to me that he be at the center of all this. This is his team, and he's the one who deserved to lift that damn team classification trophy. I hope he puts it above his TV at home," he told Danish broadcaster TV2.

Guercilena departs the team and will be replaced by Andy Schleck as CEO, with Pedersen among a core of riders who have spent years under the tutelage of the Italian team boss. For Pedersen, it was a bittersweet moment as they celebrated both green and the teams classification win in Paris.

Pedersen has bittersweet feelings about Paris celebrations

"Luca is living his last day of work, and it will be special for all of us to say goodbye to him. We have to celebrate this with the green jersey and the team classification. It has been absolutely exceptional to be able to offer him this during this last Tour de France.

"It's a bit melancholic, yes, and it will be special not having him with us anymore. But now he's going to focus on the Giro, so maybe things will finally fall into place in Italy."

Speaking of the green jersey, it's a mixture of pride in his achievement and relief that it's no longer a dream. Noting that he has rewarded his hard work, he has other ideas about how to ride his next potential grand tour.

Mads Pedersen at the 2026 Tour de France

"I am extremely proud to be able to tick this box, because I'm no longer going to chase after this jersey. I've now chased after my points jerseys. There are other priorities now when I do the Grand Tours."

He added: "You have to be careful not to congratulate yourself too much, but yesterday (Saturday, during the 20th stage), I really felt like patting myself on the back for having secured the jersey."

What's next for the Lidl-Trek rider

Pedersen's schedule includes the Vuelta from August 22nd, a major goal for the team. However, Denmark national team coach Michael Mørkøv has publicly expressed their ambitions for the Dane to compete in both the World and European Championships, Sptember 27th and October 4th respectively. This would mean a packed end-of-season calendar.

"I think the European Championships are particularly well-suited to Mads with the course in Slovenia, but Mads has also already expressed his strong motivation to race at the World Championships," Mørkøv told TV2.

"Even though the course is difficult with a lot of climbing in Montreal, Mads has already shown that he can perform very well in a championship race."

Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist

Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.

His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.

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