The winningest Danish rider can’t stop winning as Mads Pedersen and his Lidl-Trek teammates secure a third stage win at the Giro d’Italia after another textbook display of teamwork.
It was a nail-biting finish with Pedersen losing some ground on the steeper parts of the climb up to the line but despite being seemingly too far back under the flamme rouge, he was able to make it back up to the front and onto the wheel of teammate Mathias Vacek before winning the sprint to the line.
Mads Pedersen:
“I was not sure I had won on the line. It was an incredibly hard last 20 kilometers. I was fighting a lot since the steep climb and I really suffered a lot on this last climb so, this was a really really tough one and I wasn’t sure. I knew that over the top, when I was a bit behind, that I was still in the group fighting for the win but I had a really hard time there and I used a lot of energy to move back up to Vacek’s wheel but luckily I had enough in the last sprint. What a Giro we are having and what a Team I have around me. Together what we have done so far is incredible and to win in this jersey, it’s insane. Wearing the jersey is one thing but to win in it is something different.
“This first week has been some of the best performances I have done in a race ever so I am just super happy and proud. It’s way more than I ever dreamed about. I came to the Giro to win as much as possible and I showed up in the best shape possible to do that with the Lidl-Trek logo on my jersey but it also wouldn’t be possible without the guys and Vacek especially has been showing how strong he is, he deserves all the credit we give him. The Team are absolutely amazing, they are looking for me the whole day and making the speed high and low when it’s needed so, without a Team like this, it wouldn’t be possible so thanks to them.
“When Primož [Roglič] went to the front I was like ‘oooh, now it’s over’ because I started to lose some spots in the group, and then it was really tough for me. But, Vacek stayed there and in the radio they were saying he should slow down so I could gain the spots back and I did. I was able to get back into his wheel in the last 800 meters so, all-in-all, it was also a super great performance from the team car today to guide him through the final as well. Chapeau to everyone.
“Tomorrow is a more regular sprint than today and we know it is going to be a tough one but, we are going to try all we can. Last time I was in Napoli it was pretty nice so let’s see if it can happen again tomorrow but first, we enjoy today.”
1 Mads PEDERSEN LIDL-TREK 15:11:52 0:00
2 Primož ROGLIČ RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE 15:12:09 0:17
3 Mathias VACEK LIDL-TREK 15:12:16 0:24
