Mads Pedersen reveals juicy anecdotes about Mathieu Van der Poel - "What if" isn't part of his dictionary
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleFor Mads Pedersen and Lidl-Trek, the cobbled classics are over. The Danish leader of the German-American team began 2025 with the clear goal of winning a Monument, but after Paris-Roubaix, he returns home without one. In Roubaix, it could have happened, until bad luck completely removed him from the front of the race. Still, “what if” doesn’t exist in the pragmatic Pedersen’s mindset.
ADVERTISEMENT
With 71 kilometers to go, the lead group in Paris-Roubaix consisted of Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen, Tadej Pogacar, Stefan Bissegger, and Pedersen himself. The Dane got there thanks to excellent teamwork from Lidl-Trek. Although Edward Theuns and Jasper Stuyven crashed out early, Daan Hoole, Mathias Vacek, and Tim Declercq made sure their leader started the first cobbled sectors in perfect position.
Pedersen then took initiative multiple times and rightly earned his place in the front group of five. But with 70 kilometers to go, while in a good position, he suffered a puncture. Gone from the front and realistically, gone were his chances. He swapped wheels with teammate Daan Hoole and tried to rally the chasing group to bridge back up, but it proved too much. A third place was the maximum possible, and that’s where he finished, beating Wout van Aert and Florian Vermeersch in a small sprint.
Read more below the tweet!
Post-Paris-Roubaix 2025 press conference Mads Pedersen
Mads, have you answered the famous "what if?" question yet?
“No, and I don’t want to give one either. Because we’ll never know, and I’m not going to say anything about it. It’s always if, if, if. I had a lot of bad luck at a bad moment and that’s the story. It is what it is, not what if.”
How did you feel up to that moment?
“I felt really good, and the team genuinely did an amazing job by always keeping me at the front and pulling hard. Everything was going really well—until that moment.”
“I felt really good, and the team genuinely did an amazing job by always keeping me at the front and pulling hard. Everything was going really well—until that moment.”
There were quite a few flat tires. Was that because of the rain?
“In my opinion, it didn’t change much. Whether it rains or not, you’ll still see those flat tires. If you hit a stone, you’re done for. That goes for everyone.”
“In my opinion, it didn’t change much. Whether it rains or not, you’ll still see those flat tires. If you hit a stone, you’re done for. That goes for everyone.”
Read more below the video!
Was it hard to mentally switch after that?
“You have to. When you get knocked back, you have to refocus on what comes next. At that point, we weren’t even riding for the podium yet in the chasing group, but you also know: in Paris-Roubaix, anything can happen. If you keep fighting, you might still end up on the podium. And that’s exactly what happened.”
In the finale, you were with Wout van Aert and Florian Vermeersch. Did you feel like you were the strongest of the three?
“No, not at all. I wanted them to work on the cobbled sectors too, so they had to do some pulling as well. It also seemed like they were taking turns trying to attack, but I just tried to keep the pace high to launch the sprint. Luckily, I was still strong enough.”
Two weeks ago you called Mathieu a monster, but how would you describe him now?
"That monster hasn't disappeared, so I think I'll leave him at that status."
Is it a shame you won't be competing against him in the next one? (Pedersen rides the Giro and Copenhagen, Van der Poel the Tour, ed.)
“I’m looking forward to not racing against him and Tadej for a while. We should enjoy the battles we’ve had together, and not just take them for granted as if great racing like this is always a given. Mathieu and Tadej will do the Tour, but that’s a completely different approach. People need to accept that, and we should just enjoy these fights in the classics. Then we wait another twelve months.”
How unique is this?
“That’s up to you guys. We just enjoy racing against each other. See you next week.” (grins)
Read also
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'.
IDL-productions
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Cyclocross legend Lars van der Haar had a tough time after retiring from cyclocross: 'It was over pretty quickly'
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Latest Cycling News
Michael Vanthourenhout's severe crash overshadows thrilling men's cyclocross race in merksplas
Thibau Nys offers glimpse into unbelievable cyclocross comeback: 'That uncertainty, that struggle with self-confidence'
Complications surround Wout van Aert's World Cyclocross Championship start
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Popular Cycling News
Pidcock's turbocharged vacation leads to struggles on the bike: 'No wonder people think cycling is hard'
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Extensive evidence of use of N-word, homophobia, and Asian-hate by track cyclist Matthew Richardson revealed
Complications surround Wout van Aert's World Cyclocross Championship start
Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026
