Mads Pedersen dismisses criticism of Tour de France heat and his 2026 choices: 'Nice to prove them wrong'
CyclingWednesday, 08 July 2026 at 08:44
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Follow us on GoogleMads Pedersen was in top form during—and especially after—the fourth stage of the Tour de France, which he won. With temperatures above 40 degrees, the Dane from Lidl-Trek kept his cool. And people both inside and outside the Tour de France would do well to follow his example, according to Pedersen.
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After a masterclass by Lidl-Trek, in which Pedersen was led to victory from the breakaway by teammates Mathias Vacek and Quinn Simmons, it was time for a press conference. During the press conference, Pedersen was bombarded with questions, many of which he had already answered in the flash interview and the mixed zone.
And so he reiterated that he was dedicating his stage 4 victory to team manager Luca Guercilena, who was leaving Lidl-Trek and had brought him onto the team in 2017. He reiterated how important Vacek and Simmons had been, first in staying with the breakaway group and then in keeping the riders together heading into the final stretch, which ended in a sprint in Foix.
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Mads Pedersen won Stage 4 in commanding fashion
Pedersen praises 'workaholic' Steven de Jongh
According to Pedersen, the fact that Lidl-Trek had three riders in the breakaway was due not only to their strength but also to a pre-planned strategy. Sports director Steven de Jongh had it all figured out. “Steven is a real workaholic, I’d say. He does a lot of reconnaissance, and it’s important for him to know what kind of stages we’re racing.”
"It was a great achievement that he rode 182 kilometers on this course, with its narrow roads and all those turns. When he said we needed to get as many riders as possible into the breakaway and that we wanted to win the stage with me, I started paying closer attention," said Pedersen. "Together we came up with a plan, even though it’s hard to execute it to perfection."
However, he did manage to pull it off, despite Pedersen being the favorite. De Jongh had marked this stage as a key one for him, but the cycling world also saw a victory for the powerhouse coming. “You have to wait and see how it goes, especially when you’re the bookmakers’ number one favorite to win the stage. It wasn’t as easy as it looked.”
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Mads Pedersen claimed the green jersey with his stage victory
Pedersen dispels Tour de France heat rumors
On Tuesday, the conversation centered not only on the race but also on the heat. Pedersen understood that, but he also drew a line. “Every team is professional and well-prepared for stages like this. We all know that when we go to France and Spain in July, it’s going to be hot. Ultimately, you just have to accept it and race.”
"It's really tough to race in temperatures that are higher than your body temperature. But we at Lidl-Trek have a very good protocol and are able to cool down effectively," he said, once again offering praise. "And I’m certain that if it were unhealthy or unsafe, there wouldn’t be a race."
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Pedersen responds to critics: 'It's nice to prove them wrong'
Pedersen also smiled as he looked back at the people who had questioned his choices in 2026. After breaking his wrist in the Tour of Valencia, Lidl-Trek and Pedersen did everything they could to be ready for the spring season, and they succeeded wonderfully. “It’s been a difficult comeback from the crash until now. We pushed ourselves to the limit to make it to the classics.”
"I don't know if that was a smart move, but if I had won a Monument, that would have been great. "I finished in the top ten in all the classics," he said. According to Pedersen, the fact that his wrist started bothering him again after the classics wasn’t the only reason he skipped the Baloise Belgium Tour in June. He said there was "no question of a setback."
"I skipped that race to get in some extra training behind the motorcycle, as well as heat training. I heard a lot of people say I should end my season early and that I wouldn't win anything, so it's nice to prove them wrong. It turns out I can also prepare myself well through training."
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - How many times has Pog actually worn yellow now? The article hints he’s lost count—anyone got the exact stat?robert6506-07-2026
- - Unreal start to the Tour: two punches in three days. If he’s taking yellow this early, the real game is load management before the first true summit finish.davidm06-07-2026
- - Grandissimo Tadej! Maillot jaune meritato, squadra perfetta oggi.sprocketspiny06-07-2026
- - Not sure I buy the “nothing really tough” description. 3,850m of climbing in that heat is brutal, even if the gradients aren’t HC. Felt a bit dismissive.cadencekingm06-07-2026
- - Pogacar’s humour about the gels was gold. Also, nice to see him credit Del Toro. That Barcelona gesture coming back today was a proper team arc.michael5406-07-2026
- - Quick question: when they say “break got a free pass” by Visma, does that mean Visma just stopped chasing completely? Or is it more like they eased but still controlled the gap?velodromevirtuoso106-07-2026
- - Sorry, but the piece glosses over how Vermeersch shredded the gap. That was the hinge of the stage. Give him more credit than a single line.raceready706-07-2026
- - Two seconds on a 200m kick says it all. Vingegaard looked glued, but not enough punch yet. Heat management + gels every 30 minutes clearly dialed.andrewf06-07-2026
- - What a statement from Pog! Del Toro’s launch was textbook. You could see UAE-XRG had zero interest in gifting the break any hope today.jennifer1906-07-2026
- - ¿Habrá abanicos con ese viento noroeste? Si se parte el pelotón en los llanos antes de Quillan, adiós a muchos sprinters.patriciaw06-07-2026
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