'I came for more than this': Mads Pedersen's Tour de France marred by injuries but sees green jersey on the horizon
The 2019 world champion wasn't able to build on his impressive form in last year's Tour


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Here's a couple of results from the 2020 Tour de France you most probably forgot all about.
Stage one: Nice to Nice. Won by Alexander Kristoff, the Norwegian beating Mads Pedersen by a bike length.
Stage 21: Mantes-la-Jolie to Paris. Won by the green jersey of Sam Bennett, just pipping Mads Pedersen to the line on the Champs-Élysées.
With barely a break in racing since the cycling calendar resumed in August 2020, it's very easy to focus on the here and now, and the present day makes it difficult to believe that Pedersen almost won two sprint stages at last year's Tour.
It's more incomprehensible because ever since he surprisingly became the world champion in Yorkshire in 2019, the Trek-Segafredo rider has been trying to rewrite the narrative and prove his worth, prove his rainbow stripes, and prove that win in Harrogate wasn't a fluke.
It seemed to go unnoticed, but in 2020's condensed season he won a sprint at the BinckBank Tour, triumphed at Gent-Wevelgem, and then this spring won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne before scoring a hat-trick of top-threes in ensuing sprints.
He should have been a contender for the points classification in the 2021 race, but it didn't go to plan.
"I came for more than this," he tells Cycling Weekly, ruefully cursing his luck but pragmatic all the same. "Yet some times it doesn't go as you want.
"Last year was really, really good and I didn't hit the ground once, but this year I've crashed three times, was also sick, and around halfway through my main focus became on just trying to finish the race."
He jokes that a tilt at green "is a bit too late this year, hey," but is warm to the idea, even if his name is barely mentioned in the list of possible winners.
"I wouldn't deny that maybe one year, if the course fits me good, that I think I can I would be quite OK in going for green," he confirms.
"If I can find the climbing legs that I had last year, and use those legs and the sprints, it would be a bit easier to get some easy points on the route, and not just focusing on the final sprints all of the time."
A bit like how Michael Matthews and Sonny Colbrelli approached the classification this year. "Similar to that," Pedersen agrees. "Making gains, getting more points on the climbing days. That's the way I think."
The 25-year-old, however, doesn't only read that textbook. Bennett and Mark Cavendish win green in the conventional style: winning the flat stages.
Pedersen continues. "I still believe I can be an even better sprinter than I am now.
"Ok, this year I didn't show any really good sprints in the Tour, but I still believe with a good focus on sprinting that I can be in the top mix in the future in sprinting."
Next year's Tour starts in Copenhagen, 60km east of Pedersen's hometown, Tølløse. "It's super-nice to have the biggest race in the world in Denmark next year," he says.
Two sprint stages follow the opening day time trial. No prizes for guessing what Pedersen's plans are.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.
Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
-
-
'The hardest ride': Matt Downie beats Mark Beaumont's NC500 record by an hour
26-year-old completes 516 mile course in 27 hours 30 minutes dead to set new best time
By Adam Becket Published
-
5 Kickstarter products to help your commute
We take a look at some of the most backed products from the Kickstarter program and beyond
By Joe Baker Published
-
Mark Cavendish to postpone retirement and ride on with Astana Qazaqstan, reports
British sprinter reported to have reached agreement with current team to continue racing in 2024
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
In memoriam: Tadej Pogačar's white jersey domination
After 81 days in the young rider's jersey at Grand Tours, the Slovenian has grown up
By Adam Becket Published
-
'They race like juniors': How men's pro cycling is getting wilder and races refuse to slow down
Racing from the gun during a three week Grand Tour is a big ask for even the best and the strongest. Is this the new cycling?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Remco Evenepoel hopes to 'steal' Jonas Vingegaard's secrets at Vuelta a España as he looks to 2024 Tour de France
Belgian aiming for second Vuelta a España triumph over the next three weeks, but faces stiff opposition
By Tom Davidson Published
-
WorldTour teams have an extra three years to halve carbon emissions before losing license - UCI clarifies
A carbon emissions tracker has been introduced and it is mandatory for all stakeholders to use it
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
‘I really like city street racing’ - Tadej Pogačar on the ‘enjoyable’ World Championships road race course
Slovenian two-time Tour de France winner took bronze behind rainbow jersey winner Mathieu van der Poel
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Opinion: Mark Cavendish Netflix documentary shows why Tour de France return is in doubt
Manxman's route out of depression shows what's really important
By Vern Pitt Published
-
UCI carried out 997 checks for motor doping at Tour de France, all came back negative
837 tests carried out at stage start using magnetic tablets, 160 at stage finishes using either backscatter or x-ray transmission technology
By Tom Thewlis Published