Lidl-Trek explain aggressive strategy on Tour de France stage 12
The German team animated the finale of stage 12, as Mads Pedersen held onto his lead in the points classification.
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Lidl-Trek sports director Kim Andersen confirmed that the team’s strategy was to try and force a late breakaway on Stage 12 of the Tour de France, as the German side orchestrated a wave of attacks on the run-in to Chalon-sur-Saône.
The American champion Quinn Simmons ignited the chaos with 35km remaining, launching a powerful acceleration that created a 15-rider split. Lidl-Trek continued to apply pressure on the approach to the Côte de Montagny-lès-Buxy, with Mattias Skjelmose, Mathias Vacek, Derek Gee-West and Toms Skujiņš (Lidl-Trek) all involved in attacks.
On the climb, Simmons forced the pace and created another split before Pedersen himself pushed the pace on the descent and into the final 10km.
In the end, the sprint teams were able to regain control and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) completed a hat-trick of stage wins ahead of Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), while Pedersen finished ninth.
Andersen explained that the team’s priority was to create a move that could stay clear rather than simply prepare for a sprint.
“We wanted to have a break going, but we also knew it could be very difficult. But at least to try something and not just wait for the sprint,” Andersen told TNT Sports.
A successful move would also have prevented the sprinters from collecting points at the finish and reducing Pedersen’s advantage in the points classification, which the Dane admitted was a major incentive.
“The ideal would have been for 10-15 people to have set off when we started to move a little to the right and left, because then all the points would have been gone. That was the dream, but it didn't work out,” Pedersen told TV2 Sport.
“You never know. It could be that the sprint teams suddenly ran out of people or hesitated for 30 seconds while the right group set off. So we might as well try until it didn't make sense anymore.”
Despite the attacks proving unsuccessful in preventing a bunch sprint, Pedersen was satisfied with the outcome, retaining his position at the head of the points classification standings, with a 40-point advantage over Biniam Girmay (NSN).
“In the end, it was an excellent day of damage control,” he said.
Andersen was also positive about Pedersen’s position in the points classification and highlighted the fact that it marked the final pure sprint with the maximum amount of points available on offer.
“I think it’s not too bad, of course there will still be a long fight but we are in front and there are no stages with 70 points anymore, so I think we are quite happy.”
Meanwhile, Skjelmose’s late attacks raised questions given his general classification ambitions, but the Dane insisted the effort would not compromise his future objectives.
“It doesn't cost anything that I jumped in three times,” Skjelmose told Feltet.
“If it costs 10 watts today, then I'm sure it will give me 20 watts when Mads helps me another day,” he added.
Skjelmose sits eighth overall, 5:45 behind race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), while his teammate Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) is in fourth, 4:22 behind the world champion and 16 seconds from the podium.
Result: Tour de France stage 12
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