Mads Pedersen must repeat an unprecedented feat to reach Paris without nerves: 'Today was worth all the pain'
CyclingFriday, 24 July 2026 at 12:07
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Follow us on GoogleRichard Carapaz won Stage 18 of the Tour de France on Thursday, but alongside the Ecuadorian, there was also applause for Mads Pedersen. The Dane from Lidl-Trek has shown time and again in his career that he can pull off some crazy moves on a good day, and he did just that in an incredibly tough mountain stage. Pedersen added 25 points toward the green jersey, but knows that after“a proper shit day” on Wednesday, his lead is far from secure.
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Pedersen had been in complete control of the battle for the green jersey and the points classification throughout this Tour de France, but Stage 17 threw everything into disarray. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) unexpectedly survived a transitional stage and sprinted to a stage victory and 50 points on Wednesday. As a result, he suddenly closed the gap on Pedersen to just 7 points.
The powerhouse from Lidl-Trek was absolutely gutted, especially since his own attacking drive had ultimately helped Philipsen reach the final. There wasn’t much time to dwell on it, though, because the recovery effort would have to take place over three grueling days in the Alps. Part 1 of the plan followed on Thursday during Stage 18.
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Pedersen is competing at the Tour de France; Philipsen is not
In an extremely grueling stage, made even tougher by the breakaway group’s blistering pace, Pedersen managed to get into the right breakaway. After three climbs—one of the first, one of the second, and one of the third category—the Dane was comfortably among the leaders heading toward the intermediate sprint in Corps.
There, he added 25 points to his total, extending his lead over Philipsen from 7 to 32 points. That gives him a little more breathing room, though Pedersen knew afterward that it still isn’t enough. “Yesterday was a huge disappointment, but we still had the green jersey, and I didn’t want to give up. We’re going to fight all the way to Paris, and today was a good example of that.”
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Philipsen still has a chance to score points against pedersen in Paris
32 points—how much is that, really? Given that Philipsen won’t score any points at the intermediate sprints in Stages 19 and 20 anyway, the Belgian can only score points on the final day in Paris at the intermediate sprint and the finish. That could total 75 points, though he would have to win both sprints in a challenging stage through Montmartre in the French capital.
Pedersen himself could, of course, still score a lot of points in Paris, although this Tour de France has shown that the Dane is far from being among the fastest riders in the peloton. So 32 points might not be enough. Pedersen will need to win one or two more intermediate sprints in the Alps. “It’s tough being out there, with all those climbers around you. I have to dig deep.”
"Today was worth all the pain"
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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