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Follow us on GoogleIn almost every interview with a cyclist after a race, the team gets praised, the domestiques get compliments for their work, and a victory is called a collective achievement. It feels like media training, but not when Mads Pedersen does it. After the tenth stage of the Vuelta a España on Tuesday, the Dane was full of praise for one of his teammates.
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Pedersen undoubtedly hoped to be in the breakaway on Tuesday so that he could pick up some points for the green points classification at the intermediate sprint after 153 kilometers. However, it turned out to be a tough job to be in the leading group of the day. Eighteen riders succeeded, after more than three (!) hours of hard racing at an average speed of over 50 kilometers per hour.
Julien Bernard ultimately did participate on behalf of Lidl-Trek. The 33-year-old Frenchman usually rides his heart out for others, but now he could dream of an excellent result for himself. However, when the peloton got going and Bernard had taken 20 points at the intermediate sprint, he dropped back from the front group. Bernard did not let himself be pushed aside immediately, though, and continued riding, enabling him to do some crucial work in the final phase.
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Giulio Ciccone
Pedersen praises super-domestique Bernard
“A lot of guys wanted to make the break, and a lot of guys didn’t want some other people in the break, so that’s why it went so fast” Pedersen analyzed the first hours of the Vuelta stage. "Julien [Bernard] was at the front. He’s such an underestimated bike rider. As a teammate, he’s one of the best guys you can have. If you tell him to pull on the flat, he’s there; on a day like today, he makes the break… "
Pedersen had also seen that leader Giulio Ciccone had suddenly been dropped by the rest at the bottom of the final climb. The reason was unknown, but the Italian found his legs again and tried to catch up. Bernard set the pace and brought his leader back. "He was super valuable. When Cicco [Giulio Ciccone] was dropped a bit, Julien waited and pulled for him. I only have good words and massive respect for Julien Bernard. It’s definitely because of people like him that we are able to win bike races, and we’re able of dreaming to win more stages and take this green jersey to the podium in Madrid."
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
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026