Having just won Stage 19 of the 2022 Vuelta a España, his third stage victory of the race, Mads Pedersen looks nailed on to win the green jersey. We spoke to the fast-finishing Dane before the start of the Vuelta on what cycling means to Denmark, how 2019 changed his life and which race he really wants to win
Danish cycling is thriving right now. What do you put that down to?
The whole support chain we had from a young age, with local clubs who made cycling fun for us when we were kids; the national team who started to work with us when we were about 15 years old; and the junior and Continental teams afterwards. It’s really paying off right now and showing the skills of Danish cyclists to the whole world.
How has that translated into the way the Danish national team works?
If you take a big country like Italy, some riders won’t see each other until they are at under-23 level. But in Denmark, we’ve been racing against each other every weekend since a really young age, and with that we’ve built friendships and it’s those friendships that are paying off now.
Even as pros we still have team camps with the national team. I haven’t heard about any other national teams doing this. It’s a good mix, with older guys working with the young guns already.
We spend four days together each year besides racing. I think it’s worth it – we learn a lot about each other and get a stronger bond.
That team bond certainly seemed to help you become World Champion in 2019. How have the rainbow bands shaped things for you?
That was seven hours of my life that changed everything. After that I couldn’t go shopping without people asking how it’s going or commenting on the sweets in my basket.
On the streets, people want pictures and autographs. It was definitely an eye-opener. I knew cycling was getting bigger in Denmark but after that I realised how many people actually supported cycling.
It was heart-warming to see all the positive comments about me and the team.
How do you plan your approach as a national team?
Of course we all want to win World Championships but we respect each other. We make a clear plan, and it’s not easy to make that plan because we all want it our own way, but after that talk we all shake hands and say, ‘OK, this is our plan, this is how we do it.’
And everyone respects that plan and sticks to it 100 per cent. So I was super-happy for Michael Valgren when he was third last year, even though I was taken out and my big dream was gone.
I think this happiness for each other is a big benefit of having a strong national team. We support each other, so it really doesn’t matter who is winning as long as one of us is.
Trek-Segafredo also seems to have a really strong team ethic. How has that come together?
It’s never easy to get colleagues to be friends. We have 31 riders, a lot of different nationalities, but somehow we manage. That friendship is important, to give that extra ten per cent for the other guys, to sacrifice yourself.
You need more of an incentive than just getting paid to do a job. You need to have a good feeling with the guy you’re working for.
The team management thinks a lot about what kind of personalities to bring on board – they know it’s really important. They might not hire the guys with the biggest numbers but with the right personality, guys who will fit into the group.
In the Giro d’Italia, Giulio Ciccone was supposed to go hunting stages and even do a good GC, but he gave everything to help Juanpe [López] stay as long as possible in the leader’s jersey.
You have to be really close to the other guy if you’re going to give up your opportunities for his.
Pedersen wins Stage 16 of the 2022 Vuelta a España earlier this week. Photo: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images
Are you driven by the team’s aims or do you set your own goals?
One hundred per cent I set my goals myself. To be honest, I’m not riding to make the team happy. I know that they are paying my salary, but I’m riding to reach my own goals.
I set the bar high, so if I’m reaching my own goals then the team is happy as well.
I’m not working as hard as I do on training days just to get paid at the end of the month; I’m riding to achieve goals.
I say, ‘I want to win Paris-Roubaix’ but I know it’s not easy to win Paris-Roubaix, but I also know I can win Paris-Roubaix. So why not believe it will happen?
When you have the courage to stand up for your goals and say it loud to the team, ‘I will do everything I can to win this race,’ they will be super-supportive and they won’t disturb you in your preparations and your way of working.
So it sounds like Paris-Roubaix is one of your top goals…
Definitely, that’s my dream race to win. I would give my right arm to win that race. It’s the Classic that fits me best. I made some mistakes in the past two editions, so I’m learning from those mistakes now and hopefully luck will be on my side in the future.
I still have a few chances left and I believe I can take the big cobblestone home with me one day. So I keep dreaming and keep trying to perform to the best of my abilities, every year, for Paris-Roubaix.
How do you bounce back after setbacks?
In Denmark we say you can’t cry over spilt milk, so I don’t look back. can’t change if I crashed in Roubaix this year, but what I can change is what happens next time. I can work on it and say, ‘OK, next year I’m gonna do it differently.’ I learn from my mistakes.
If you’re looking back on your career 20 years from now, what’s the ultimate goal you want to have achieved?
If I look at pure results, for sure it’s Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders, plus a stage win in each Grand Tour is also something I would like to achieve.
Then outside of results I just want people to like me as a cyclist and as a person. If in that whole 20 years just one kid becomes professional and says it was because of me that they started to ride their bike, I will be more than happy.
Of course I want results, that’s why I’m working really hard, and I do this knowing not many people get the opportunity to have a job like I have.
I always dreamed about making a living from cycling, so I’m just taking everything I can from it right now.