"Those two guys are still on a different level" - Mads Pedersen insists Pogacar & Van der Poel remain Monument favourites despite making Gent Wevelgem history
Cycling
For the third time in his illustrious career, Mads Pedersen has bagged the win at Gent Wevelgem in 2025. Although both his other wins came in competitive sprints though, this time the Dane was utterly dominant, soloing for more than 55 kilometres en route to his incredibly impressive success.
"It's crazy. I never expected to to be able to do something like this," Pedersen reflected afterwards in his post-race interview, having joined such notable names as Peter Sagan, Tom Boonen, Mario Cipollini, Eddy Merckx, Rik van Looy and Robert Van Eenaeme in an all-star group of three-time Gent Wevelgem winners. "To win here again is super nice."
As mentioned, in both of Pedersen's previous wins, it was a sprint that settled today. This time though, the Dane was not leaving it to chance. "It was in favour of being alone with the full tailwind in the last 20k. On the plugstreets I had really good legs, so I was like 'OK, let's try to open the race'," continues Pedersen, explaining his decision to not wait for the sprint this time around. "And then, it was the point of no return. This could have ended in shit also, but today it went well, so luckily it was a good decision."
Despite this win though, Pedersen isn't getting too ahead of himself in regards to the Classics to come, especially given the presence of Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel this Spring. "It's a different race than this is, and you know, those two guys are still on a different level," concludes the Lidl-Trek leader honestly. "We saw it Friday with Mathieu. He just dropped me on the Kwaremont. And we also know Tadej is a pretty good bike rider, so he he's able to do the same. Of course this gives some confidence for Sunday, and we believe we can win, but it's not going to be easy at all."
Chapeau to Mads Pedersen here today at Gent Wevelgem - criticised at E3, he's gone hard and solo before the Kemmelberg and held off the peloton to retain his 2024 title 👏🇩🇰#GW25 #GWmen pic.twitter.com/ngAliY9spX
— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) March 30, 2025
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- if there is an actual weakness in wout even when completely healthy, it’s that he’s in his head too often. this has been pointed out many times by much more acute observers of cycling than ME, certainly. it may be that he’s been like this since he was a little kid. we are who we are. or that he was shaped by having faced van der poel SOOO many times. mvdp has zero second thoughts. he wastes no time at all on doubt. that has, in the past, led him to do some pretty insane things and make mistakes that wout would never have committed. but it also makes him a killer. you can see wout’s split seconds of doubt and hesitation everywhere in their head to head battles. those hesitations spill over into other races at times like dwars, when doubt creeps in. i believe that currently he is still coming back from physical problems due to injuries, but even when he’s full strength the mental game is an area of potential concern, AND potential improvement.OCexile03-04-2025
- Not only the public, just about every analyst and commentator had been piling it on. Under the circumstances I’d even say he’s showing real character. Not sure likeable Tadej would manage as well during a longer rough patch.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Took a while but we finally have a more nuanced analysis.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- If I remember right, it was those same hungry journalists selling us a different story less than a year ago about the bleak future of Dutch (men’s) cycling with no possible successor for MVDP ;-)Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Good, hopefully Jonas goes also so we get a nice duelvappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- right? i think it’s hungry journalists that fuel this, and i understand the jam they can be in trying to create stories, but you’d hate to think ANYONE is failing to appreciate how RARE someone like van der poel is (or how LUCKY we are to have both mvdp and pog racing at the same time). a little perspective is a good thing…OCexile03-04-2025
- Anyone know how long that 213km ride took? Coz without that the segment speeds don’t reveal anything surprising. If it took him Less than 5h ok but otherwise it was just some interval training for him.Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- Hinault was even lighter than Pog at 62 kg when he won PR in 1981, beating Roger van Vlaeminck no less (albeit at the fag end of the latter's career), so it can be done.Cooldude03-04-2025
- Having to shoulder too much pressure from the Belgain public too much that he made a tactical mistake. That's what public pressure does to you. Poor Wout! Hopefully, lady luck befalls him soon.
KerisVroom03-04-2025 - If he's very lucky maybe he can podium a Tour one season, I certainly don't believe he can win it, evervappaxbipmv03-04-2025