Mads Pedersen hopes for more aggressive racing, more stage wins, and another points jersey at the Vuelta a España before he plots a return to the Tour de France, perhaps even in 2026.
The Lidl-Trek leader agreed to an alternative race programme in 2025 compared to recent seasons, riding the cobbled Classics, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, while pure sprinter Jonathan Milan was given protected status and stage win opportunities at the Tour de France.
Pedersen has seized every opportunity that has come his way to win this year: he won four stage wins at the Giro, wore the maglia rosa for five days, and sealed victory in the cyclamen points jersey. He also won Gent-Wevelgem, was second in the Tour of Flanders, and third in Paris-Roubaix. Now he wants to do as well at the Vuelta as he completes his 'alternative' season of racing, with the European time trial championships a final goal.
"I wanted to get everything out of every opportunity I had this year," Pedersen said after arriving in Turin for the start of the Vuelta on Saturday, where he could win the first flat stage to Novara and pull on the first red leader's jersey.
"The classics, that's a no-brainer, then I wanted to perform at the Giro, to get as many wins as possible there. Why not go to the Vuelta with the same ambitions as we've had in the Giro? We have to put the barrier high and try to get the absolute maximum out of it."
Pedersen makes it clear he was not selected for the Tour de France, with the Lidl-Trek management preferring to target sprint stages with Milan. Pedersen used the decision to drive his ambitions. He also learned something about the Tour.
"It made me realise that the Tour de France is not everything," he said.
"If the Tour is the main focus, then you might not perform 100% in other races. I realised that you can have a good season without doing the Tour."
Pedersen has learnt something by not riding the Tour this year, but that does not mean he does not want to go back, even as early as 2026.
"I'm not done with the Tour," Pedersen made clear.
"I'm also still aiming to win the points jersey in the Tour one day. So I'm definitely not done with the Tour yet. Why should I put it away? Just because I don't do it for one season? I'm not on the retirement part of my career yet.
"Some years the team have other plans, the riders too. This year it was not me, I wasn't selected for the Tour, but hopefully it could be next year."
Sharing leadership at the Vuelta with Ciccone
Before thinking about 2026, Pedersen is focused on 2025 and the Vuelta.
After the Giro, he won the Danish time trial title and then spent July training for the Vuelta. He showed he is back to his devastating best by winning two stages and the overall at the Tour of Denmark. His first win came in a reduced sprint after joining a key attack, his second with a long-range solo attack.
"The numbers are definitely good enough," Pedersen said of his form and his Lidl-Trek teammates.
"It wasn't possible to win like we did in Denmark without having the numbers where they should be. It was a good test for the Vuelta. The shape is definitely there, and I'm ready for the next three weeks."
"In recent weeks, I trained as normal, I climbed the same amount of climbs as normal. The preparation was not more focused on climbing, it was about being in top shape and being able to push the power for the time that's needed."
Pedersen can count on Søren Kragh Andersen and time trialist Daan Hoole as his dedicated lead-out train, with other teammates, including co-leader Ciccone, likely to help Lild-Trek to split the peloton and drop rival sprinters whenever possible on the rolling stages of the Vuelta.
The first goal is Saturday's opening stage. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is a late, extra sprint rival. Other possible stage win rivals include Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Ethan Vernon and Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech), Elia Viviani (Lotto), and Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL).
Philipsen is trying to reset his season after crashing out of the Tour and is not at his best but Pedersen considers him a threat.
"It makes it tougher to win stage 1, but nothing is impossible," he said.
"I was racing against him in Denmark, and I have beaten him before in the sprint. Okay, just one sprint out of many, but it gives me enough belief in myself and the team that hopefully we can start this Vuelta with a good result."
Pedersen will share team leadership with Ciccone, swapping a protected role as the terrain switches from rolling roads to mountain finishes. Both are ambitious for the Vuelta but are ready to work for each other, as they did successfully at the Giro.
"On this team, we can deal with having two priorities," Pedersen said.
"We can share the work, we can share the pressure, and we can share the results. We showed it already in the Giro and we believe we can do the same here.
"I can help Cicco on some days if I have really good climbing legs, and Cicco can make a difference for me where the finish would be suited for me. I think this combination and this respect for each other makes it possible to have two equal priorities."
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