The hunt is on! Pedersen ready for to chase a monument win after Paris-Nice victory: "Even if Pogacar is there..."

With his win in stage six of Paris-Nice, Mads Pedersen has fired another warning shot in the direction of Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel ahead of the spring classics. The Lidl-Trek rider proved once again that he is among the strongest when conditions turn brutal, mastering the chaotic echelons with a dominant display. This winter, he made key changes to his approach—something he will soon showcase in an upcoming documentary.

Pedersen will be the star of a four-part documentary series titled Mads Pedersen – Chasing Cobbles, chronicling his pursuit of success in the classics. “It’s a complete look at a cyclist’s life,” he explains in a press statement. “Not just the personal side, but also what happens behind the scenes and how many people are involved in getting one rider to perform at their best. Each episode will show that in a different way.”

“That’s what I wanted to highlight in this documentary: that I’m fighting to win the biggest races and doing absolutely everything I can. But in my case, I can’t do it alone—I need an entire team. Not just riders, but mechanics, press officers, everyone. And everyone has to be fully committed to the plan.” And that plan? Winning a Monument, he states with complete honesty. Of course, he has a favorite—but he’d happily take any of cycling’s five biggest one-day races. “They all suit me, to be honest. It’s hard to pick just one. I’d love to win Paris-Roubaix, but the others would be incredible as well.”

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Pogacar or not in Roubaix : "It will be the same"

Of course the competition is cutthroat, perhaps more so than ever before. With Mathieu van der Poel's dominance and, above all, Tadej Pogačar, Pedersen faces an uphill battle. But he remains unfazed. "Whether Tadej is there or not, it will be the same. When we line up for a Classic, we have to believe we can win—even if Tadej is there. He is the man of the moment in cycling and one of the biggest stars in the sport’s history. But he can be beaten, especially on the cobbles, because bad luck can strike him too."

The former world champion knows, however, that a bit of luck is necessary. "If you end up in a one-on-one battle with him, it definitely gets tougher. But he can also find himself isolated, or he could get a flat tire. That would change the entire race for him—and for us. So if we start a race already thinking we’re riding for second place, that doesn’t help us at all. We have to keep believing we can win, no matter who is on the start line."

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"Cycling is a sport full of big egos"

Lidl-Trek has significantly strengthened its Classics squad, but Pedersen remains the team’s leader—and that’s essential, he says. "Cycling is a sport full of big egos, and team managers have to handle that. They can’t have 30 leaders on a team. There has to be a good balance between leaders and helpers. The team signed me for a reason—I’m here to win big races. And they’ve brought in riders to help me, just like they signed Johnny (Milan) to win and Simone Consonni to support him. The managers make their decisions about who to bring in."

The documentary Mads Pedersen – Chasing Cobbles premieres today (Saturday, March 15) on Eurosport 2 and HBO Max at 5:15 PM CET.

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