Pedersen thanks Vacek, Simmons, and departing Lidl-Trek manager after Tour win: 'For all the wonderful years'

Anyone who watched only the final stretch of Tuesday’s Tour de France stage would have expected Mads Pedersen to win. Still, the Dane from Lidl-Trek had to dig deep. In the sweltering heat, he ultimately managed to finish it off with ice-cold composure. Afterward, the new wearer of the green jersey was thoroughly satisfied, but above all, very grateful.

From within a very large group, Pedersen finally managed to break away. He owed this to fantastic teamwork from Lidl-Trek, but also to an impressive display of climbing prowess. The breakaway included strong climbers like Pablo Castrillo and Kévin Vauquelin, but they couldn’t shake Pedersen—not even on the final second-category climb.

The Dane thanked his team for that, saying they had done a fantastic job. “This was a masterpiece of teamwork,” the stage winner began in the flash interview. “Maybe not in the climbing, though, because I was really struggling on the final climb. It was an incredible day with Quinn and Vacek. They did a truly amazing job and made sure we didn’t lose too much time over the top.”

Still, it wasn’t over yet. “From there to the finish, they were absolute machines. What a performance and what a team victory today,” said Pedersen, who also had some glowing words for his departing team manager. “I spoke with Luca (Guercilena, ed.), our team manager, before the stage, and he begged me to win a stage.”

"He said this would be a good one, so I'd say this victory is for him, for all the wonderful years we've had together. I'm very grateful for everything he's done for me," he said gratefully.

And all of that in the sweltering French heat, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius. “At some point, you just have to deal with it and do whatever it takes to cool off,” said the stage winner. “To be honest, when you’re in the lead group with the car always nearby, it’s easier to cool off.”

Pedersen also had more people to thank from his Lidl-Trek team. “When we talk about teamwork, we’re not just talking about what happens on the bike. We’re also talking about all those people along the road, handing out water and ice. It really helps to have a good team.”

With this victory, the Dane is now also the new leader in the points classification. “It would have been nice to beat Jasper (Philipsen, ed.) and Girmay in the intermediate sprint, but it’s great to pick up 50 points at the finish line. It’s really a wonderful day for us,” Pedersen concluded.