'I can't just wait and see what they do' – Mads Pedersen is ready to challenge Pogačar, Van der Poel in Tour of Flanders with career-best form

Mads Pedersen cheered on by fans as he attacks out of the saddle during the E3 Saxo Classic
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)

Despite Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) confirming that this is the strongest he's ever been heading into the Tour of Flanders, the Dane still admitted how he will need to make the first move on Sunday before Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) attack on the climbs.

Pedersen is confident, of course, as a two-time podium finisher at the Ronde and having performed well at the E3 Saxo Classic, where he finished second, Gent-Wevelgem, which he dominated to win solo, and Dwars door Vlaanderen, where he took fifth.

James Moultrie
News Writer

James Moultrie is a gold-standard NCTJ journalist who joined Cyclingnews as a News Writer in 2023 after originally contributing as a freelancer for eight months, during which time he also wrote for Eurosport, Rouleur and Cycling Weekly. Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert, Lizzie Deignan and Wout van Aert. Outside of cycling, he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby, football, cricket, and American Football to name a few.

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