Disappointed Pedersen fails to deliver again in the sprint: “I want to win stages”

The Dane came to the Vuelta with big ambitions, and for good reason. Back in May, he won four stages and the points jersey in the Giro d’Italia. Earlier this month, he also claimed three stages and the overall win at the Tour of Denmark. Expectations were high for a strong Vuelta, but reality has been different so far. After eight stages, Pedersen’s best result came on the uphill finish in stage 3, where he sprinted to second. He currently leads the points classification, holding a narrow 9-point advantage over Britain’s Ethan Vernon (Israel–Premier Tech).

A significant portion of his points has come from intermediate sprints, including in stage 8. “There were 13 points up for grabs, so of course we had to go for it,” Pedersen explained in a flash interview. As for the final sprint in Zaragoza, he didn’t have an answer. “The final sprint just wasn’t good enough,” said the Dane, who was initially listed as 11th but later confirmed in 9th. “Not even finishing in the top 10 isn’t what we came here for. It is what it is.”

Despite a disappointing first week, Mads Pedersen remains combative. “We can’t change the results now. All we can do is look ahead and keep trying to win a stage. I want to win stages. Picking up points in the intermediate sprints is something we have to do, but winning is the most important thing. That’s what it’s all about.” However, it looks like Pedersen will have to wait a while longer to get another real shot. Based on the current route, stage 15 appears to be the next genuine opportunity where the powerful Dane could realistically contend for victory. In the meantime, Lidl–Trek is expected to rely on Giulio Ciccone in the tougher, more mountainous stages to come.