Mads Pedersen green jersey ambitions stayed on course on Tour de France stage 7, despite a nervous sprint finish in Bordeaux. The Lidl-Trek rider added valuable points at the intermediate sprint, then limited his losses in the final bunch kick.
Pedersen started the day with a 75-point advantage over Max Kanter of XDS Astana in the points classification. He quickly used the stage profile to protect that margin.
Baptiste Veistroffer of Lotto-Intermarché and Jakub Otruba of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA were ahead at the intermediate sprint. Behind them, Pedersen won the fight for third place and collected 16 points.
That result mattered on a day expected to favour the pure sprinters. Pedersen has built his green jersey challenge by scoring consistently, including on harder days where several fast finishers lose ground.
Pedersen green jersey lead reduced but protected
The finale in Bordeaux brought another high-speed sprint battle. Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step won the stage, ahead of Søren Wærenskjold of Uno-X Mobility and Biniam Girmay of NSN.
Pedersen crossed the line ninth. Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Premier Tech, another major rival for green, finished fifth after moving near the front inside the final kilometre.
Girmay cut Pedersen’s points classification lead to 59 points. Even so, Pedersen viewed the stage as a useful result for his broader Tour de France target.
Speaking to TV2, Pedersen said several riders finished almost level near the line. He noted his ninth place could easily have become fifth because the margins were so small.
He was more satisfied with the intermediate sprint. Pedersen said he had taken the maximum available points there, given the two-rider breakaway ahead.
He also took encouragement from the final result. Philipsen and Girmay both scored, but neither won the stage, preventing a larger swing in the green jersey standings.
Bordeaux run-in leaves Pedersen uneasy
Pedersen did not hide his discomfort with the sprint into Bordeaux. The former world champion described the run-in as one of the least enjoyable sprint situations.
He told TV2 that, even at the risk of sounding timid, riders can feel scared in such moments. The comment reflected the intensity of a crowded Tour sprint at full speed.
Lidl-Trek now expect a similar scenario on stage 8 to Bergerac. Another bunch sprint is anticipated, but the team still plans to focus first on the intermediate sprint.
Sports director Steven de Jongh told TNT Sports that a breakaway attempt is likely again. Lidl-Trek will target the remaining intermediate sprint points, then try to position Pedersen for the finish.
The team’s approach reflects the value of every scoring chance. With 70 points on offer for the winner of the flat stages, Pedersen must keep collecting on varied terrain.
Stage 4 already showed why the tougher days could prove important. Those stages give Pedersen opportunities to make gains when some pure sprinters are less prominent.
Pedersen is chasing a rare achievement in cycling. He aims to join Eddy Merckx, Laurent Jalabert, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Cavendish as points classification winners at all three Grand Tours.