""When Kasper won Flanders, I was jealous" - Mads Pedersen discusses ambition to emulate Kasper Asgreen's Tour of Flanders win

For many riders in the peloton, winning the Tour of Flanders is more than just a career milestone, it’s a lifelong dream. For Mads Pedersen, the former World Champion and star of Lidl-Trek, that dream burns brightly, even as he admires the achievements of his fellow Danish rider and friend Kasper Asgreen, who has already claimed victory in the cobbled classic.

"When Kasper won Flanders, I was jealous, because I fucking want that too," Pedersen admitted on the podcast Forhjulslir, making no attempt to hide his ambitions. "But I have so much respect for Kasper winning Flanders, so I'll never neglect the fact that he achieved this result. But if there's one thing I want, it's to do the same.

“To be honest, there is envy when the other person does well. We both want to be the best cyclist, and we race against each other.”

Pedersen’s admiration for Asgreen’s victory at Flanders is fuelled by many near misses, and the fact Mathieu van der Poel has a stronghold on that race. The Tour of Flanders, with its brutal cobbled climbs and legendary status in cycling, represents a race that perfectly suits Pedersen’s strengths as one of the very best one day riders in cycling.

As a former winner of Gent-Wevelgem and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Pedersen has already proven his ability to succeed on the cobbled roads of Belgium. Adding the Tour of Flanders to his palmarès is something many cycling fans would love to see, as the man from Denmark has already got stage wins at each grand tour to his name.

With the 2025 season on the horizon, Pedersen has made it clear that he wants to win Flanders, and also Paris-Roubaix. But can he do it? Can he emulate Kasper Asgreen’s win at Flanders from 2021? Or will Mathieu van der Poel once again prove unstoppable in the spring?