“These stages are about damage control for me”: Mads Pedersen vows to fight back in the points classification after Tim Merlier cuts his lead to 15 points
Cycling
Tim Merlier's second consecutive sprint victory at the 2026 Tour de France has dramatically intensified the battle for the green jersey, but Mads Pedersen remains confident in his own strategy. The Soudal Quick-Step sprinter claimed victory in Bergerac ahead of Biniam Girmay and Olav Kooij, earning another maximum haul of points and reducing Pedersen's lead in the classification to just 15 points.
Green jersey battle heats up
Merlier's back-to-back victories have transformed the points standings. Pedersen continues to lead with 228 points, but Merlier has surged into second place on 213 after climbing two positions.
Girmay remains firmly in contention with 203 points, while Jasper Philipsen has moved up to fourth on 175. Max Kanter dropped to fifth, with Kooij's podium finish lifting him into sixth overall.
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For Pedersen, the green jersey has become the clear objective of his Tour. Despite winning the points classifications at both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España last season, the Dane has never claimed the Tour's prestigious green jersey.
Throughout this edition, he has been aggressively collecting points wherever possible, contesting every intermediate sprint and even joining breakaways to maximise his tally. That approach paid off on stage 4, where he not only collected valuable intermediate points but also went on to win the stage.
Mads Pedersen on stage 6 of the 2026 Tour de France
Contrasting methods for the same prize
Speaking after stage 8, Pedersen acknowledged that Merlier's strategy differs significantly from his own. "I think Tim Merlier has a different approach to the green jersey compared to what I have," Pedersen explained.
"Of course, he can score maximum points at any given sprint finish. As I said yesterday, and this morning, these stages are about damage control for me as I'm just not good enough in mass sprints."
Pedersen intends to continue targeting opportunities on hilly stages, as he knows he cannot match Merlier's speed in flat finishes. "Two different approaches, but the same goal. I hope that it's exciting to watch from home."
Looking ahead, the Lidl-Trek rider has already identified his objective for the next stage. "I hope to score maximum points tomorrow. That's the main goal: trying to repeat what we did on stage 4, and score as much as possible."
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- That’s a first point, everyone can have an off year or just stagnate before a new upward cycle. What would have been more interesting is including Skjelmose’s performance into the discussion, things have also been expected from him after several performances in the past but he hasn’t really progressed either, his TdF was basically what you would have expected but he’s 26 and been kind of stuck at this level for at least 2-3 years. Maybe he’s a late developer or maybe he needs something to change but as manager I’d be just as demanding and worried about both. Perhaps the recruitment concept was to have enough talent so at least one every year would be in shape and they’ve just been unlucky. Don’t want to rub it in but you could even say Mads lost a notch, so is it the riders or is it more to do with the team?Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
- Bingo...I was also going to say that young pretty women are obsessed Pogi fan girls... who are chasing him. All glossy "____" (blank) about Tadej. PS: You can all fill in the "blank" yourselves, whatever you prefer. The definition of glossy is: It looks unusually shiny, glazed over, watery, or vacant/unfocused.PogiSloFans12-11-2026
- Are you able to discuss ANYTHING without making a reference back to your Special 1? It’s almost as if you’re paid by his marketing team to improve his ranking in search results.Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
- PogiSloFansUpToDate: The Tadej Pogačar Foundation has awarded scholarships for the 2026/2027 school and academic year in Slovenia. It received more than 60 applications from young people who have faced cancer, and all of them were approved. This year, Pogi's Foundation has therefore signed scholarship agreements with 63 recipients, totalling €166,000. This is almost double last year’s amount, when it awarded 35 scholarships worth €94,000. Pogačar: "We believe in you and your dreams. Now I’m cheering for you."PogiSloFans12-11-2026
- as we all like the david-style rebels, he will leave a gap.Ketterechts12-11-2026
- Oy, don't insult girlsHills3312-11-2026
- lol yeah. this is a good onemij12-11-2026
- Mads is the best: I didn’t even know there were rules in cyclocross. I just thought it was a matter of: ‘Go, three, two, one, ride.’ It’s like a street fight, a kind of underground brawl. It’s the MMA of cycling he gives the best quotes.mij12-11-2026
- he's too young. he's 23, so not really a fair call yet.mij12-11-2026
- and don't forget Pidcock's departure. maybe he will never win a GT, but he knows how to light up a race.mij12-11-2026
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