How do you kick off an interview with a rider who admits he has a “tremendous excessive” ego? You paint an image of him profitable actually every thing, absenting his essential rivals – Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogačar – from the scene. With these generational abilities out of the way in which, then certainly he, Mads Pedersen, would take a clear sweep? “I can’t reply that,” he cuts in, gruffly, “as a result of they’re right here, and I can’t change that reality.” Flattery has acquired me nowhere. “Look, they’re right here, so it’s only a issue we’ve got to take care of after we’re racing,” he continues. “They’re additionally tremendous good for the game – biking is healthier with them, even when generally it will be OK for me in the event that they weren’t there. Anyway, even when they weren’t round, there’d be another person who’d present up.”
If there may be one factor that doesn’t curiosity the Dane, it’s profitable the straightforward approach – even hypothetically. All through his profession as a WorldTour professional from 2017, Pedersen has needed to battle for his standing as one of many world’s greatest riders. After profitable the World Championships in Yorkshire in 2019, aged 22, his first notable outcome, he needed to show his rainbow stripes have been merited. It took time, however over the following six years he cemented his popularity, profitable six Grand Tour levels – three on the Vuelta a España, two on the Tour de France and one on the Giro d’Italia – twice triumphing at Ghent-Wevelgem, and podiuming at each the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Now 28 and nonetheless on the identical staff (now known as Lidl-Trek), Pedersen is established as one of many sport’s greatest one-day figures, a rider who can win sprints, recover from hills and go lengthy, however usually persistently standing in his approach of his success are the aforementioned trio. Is he now, using his fifth Tour de France, biking’s most under-appreciated celebrity?
This summer time may very well be career-defining for Pedersen, a chance for him to attract his popularity into alignment along with his expertise. A handful of Tour de France levels have been earmarked as being to his liking, after which follows the possibility so as to add Olympic glory to his palmarès. Such is his self-belief that the Dane regards no race as unwinnable. “I’ve stated many occasions: I don’t have the identical expertise as these guys however I’ve additionally proven that they’re beatable,” he says, “and with that information, I imagine I can beat them within the massive ones: Monuments, Olympics, Tour.”
Pedersen is gearing up for his fifth Tour de France
(Picture credit score: Zac Williams/SWPix)
No compromise
Over the previous few years, I’ve interviewed Pedersen many occasions. He’s an interesting particular person, extremely energised, if spiky at occasions, and he all the time makes liberal use of the F-word. He’s additionally considerate, congenial and extremely assured in his means. On matters as numerous as social media, rider transfers, sporting politics, altitude camps, and relocating to tax havens (he moved to Switzerland in 2022), he sometimes begins with: “I don’t give a f**okay.” It’s not a lot vanity as an excessive unwillingness to be distracted or derailed. “It’d sound tough, however it’s my approach or no approach,” he says. “I’m fairly fastened on my objective.”
Reality File
Mads Pedersen, 28
Lidl-Trek
Palmarès
1 World Champs street race 3 Vuelta a España levels 2 Ghent-Wevelgem 2 Tour de France levels 2 Tour of Denmark GC 2 Paris-Good levels 1 Vuelta a España factors classification 1 Giro d’Italia stage 1 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Does he consciously keep away from turning into consumed and outlined by the game? “Sure, though I actually benefit from the means of getting in high form,” he says, chatting with me by cellphone in late-Could. “I additionally get pleasure from it when the targets and races are completed and it’s time to get again to my household and spouse. I get pleasure from not being critical, not fascinated about racing, and with the ability to do one thing totally different.”
His household has been a relentless function in all our conversations. In 2018, Pedersen seen that his father Claus was getting burnt out after 35 years as a lorry driver, so he purchased him a motorcycle store. “He’s happier. I see a distinct dad,” he informed me. Final summer time, he satisfied Lidl-Trek to signal his brother Martin as a stagiaire in order that “we might journey the Tour of Denmark collectively – this was a giant dream for me.” Shortly after, Martin was recruited to the newly shaped Lidl-Trek Future Racing growth staff on the age of 25.
Pedersen might have a big sufficient wage to take care of his family members materially, however being an expert athlete has its drawbacks too. “Final 12 months I slept in the identical room as [team- mate Alex] Kirsch on extra nights than I did with my very own spouse,” he factors out. So when he’s dwelling, he prioritises and cherishes what condensed time he will get to spend with Lisette, whom he married in 2019. “She deserves to be handled like a queen,” he says. “It’s a must to discover that mixture of attempting to have a standard life and nonetheless being an expert bike rider.”
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Pedersen’s versatility noticed him take the Vuelta factors jersey in 2022
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Work/life stability
Up to now, Pedersen’s managed that activity expertly: “My non-public life goes rather well,” he says, whereas his skilled life speaks for itself: palmàres comprising 42 skilled victories in addition to the inexperienced jersey from the 2022 Vuelta a España – and he’s aiming for the equal within the Tour and the Giro d’Italia. However a Monument victory nonetheless eludes him.
“It’s not a secret, I need to win one, it’s my greatest dream,” he says. “I nonetheless imagine I can do it earlier than my profession is over – the fireplace continues to be there, it’s not shut off, and I’ll maintain working actually arduous to beat him.”
The Dane’s Classics pedigree ought to see him shine on the stage 9 gravel
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
In the event you haven’t guessed, the “him” is Van der Poel. “He was taking a piss on us at Roubaix,” Pedersen laughs, referring to his Dutch rival soloing to a three-minute profitable margin. “I can’t be pissed as a result of it was not even shut,” he provides, reflecting on his third place. Is there something he might do higher to enhance his probabilities? “I’ve to grasp that I don’t should be forward all the time,” he says, a reference to his resolution to assault early at March’s Tour of Flanders. “I’m ok now that I’m in a position to wait and comply with, and know that if others should comply with me, they’ll be on the restrict doing so.”
He can have loads of probabilities on the Tour to check out these reformed, much less hasty ways. “[Team DS] Steven De Jongh and my coach Mattias [Reck] imagine there shall be 4 or 5 levels for me, excluding the dash levels that shall be arduous [to win] however I’ll additionally attempt in, so there’s just a few extra choices.” Day 9’s stage round Troyes, which incorporates 32km of gravel sectors, stands out for apparent causes. “I’m actually trying ahead to that one,” Pedersen smiles, recalling an fulfilling recon.
With the ultimate week of the Tour so mountain-heavy, lots of the greater one-day specialists are anticipated to pack their baggage early – however not Pedersen. His focus will promptly change to the Olympic street race, simply 13 days after stage 21 in Good. “I’ll end the Tour,” he confirms. “Final 12 months we raced the Worlds two weeks after the Tour and it went fairly nicely [he finished fourth], so we’ll do the identical, comply with that recipe, and hope it’s ok. I do know I received’t blow up within the Olympics.” Can he win gold in Paris? “It’s a pleasant course, nearly like a crit, however with solely 90 riders and 275km, we don’t know the way the race will go. Perhaps it’ll be a day the place everyone seems to be prepared to open up early and we’ll race mano a mano early on. That might be good for me.”
If he can add to his Tour de France stage win tally – having received a stage in every of the final two editions – and declare Olympic gold, Pedersen will lastly obtain a public standing in proportion to his self-belief. How drastically does he care how he’s perceived by followers and pundits? “I’m racing my bike to make myself blissful and to attain what I’m aiming for,” he says. “In the long run, it’s solely biking. It’s a privilege to be this good, to have the ability to battle for these victories and high outcomes, and generally I’ve to pinch myself and say, ‘OK, Mads, it’s third place, that’s fairly good.’”
Fairly good is an understatement, and by the top of this summer time there could also be no disputing it. “In the future, and I actually imagine it,” he says, “I shall be on the highest, profitable extra massive ones, together with a Monument.”
