Pedersen laughs off Van der Poel and Pogacar comparisons after surprise solo—but: "I'm better than ever"

Mads Pedersen hadn’t planned it himself, but after one attack too many left him alone at the front with 56 kilometers to go, he had no choice. The Dane from Lidl-Trek completed an impressive solo effort in Gent–Wevelgem to defend his title. Adding to his 2020 win, this marked his third victory in the race—making him a joint record-holder.

"This is bizarre," Pedersen said with a smile after his stunning ride in Gent–Wevelgem. The race, shaped by aggressive crosswinds, exploded as always in the hill zone halfway through, and Pedersen simply rose above the rest. "I never expected to be capable of something like this today. But winning here is super special. I knew the peloton was closing in fast, so I just kept fighting until the final kilometer. But in the last 300 meters, I knew I had it."

He could’ve started celebrating earlier, but that speaks to Pedersen’s mindset as a competitor. He crossed the finish line 49 seconds ahead of Tim Merlier and teammate Jonathan Milan. "I knew that winning would make me a joint record-holder, and that’s pretty cool. Though to be honest, it doesn’t matter much to me whether it’s my first or third. This is just a race that suits our team really well—also for Jonathan—and we proved that again today."

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Pedersen doesn't want to think too much about Van der Poel and Pogacar just yet

The big question now is: can Pedersen do this again next week in the Tour of Flanders? On Friday at the E3 Saxo Classic, Mathieu van der Poel was still clearly stronger, so Pedersen laughs when asked about Flanders Finest. "I don’t know, it’s a different race. The two of them are something else—as we saw Friday with Mathieu. And Tadej is also quite a good rider, capable of the same things. But yes, this gives confidence for Sunday."

His solo ride certainly brought back memories of the kinds of efforts Van der Poel and Pogacar have pulled off throughout their careers. According to Pedersen, it was simply the perfect day for a move like this. "Honestly, I have no idea what came over me. It could’ve gone wrong, but there was no turning back. Being alone was an advantage, especially with a tailwind in the last 20 kilometers. And I had good legs, so thankfully it turned out to be the right decision. Am I better than ever? Yeah, I think so. Today proved that. I’m super happy with Friday (E3) and today."

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Van der Poel and Pogacar, watch out: Mads Pedersen pulls off incredible solo in Gent–Wevelgem!

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