Mads Pedersen left frustrated at E3 Saxo Classic as numbers game costs Lidl-Trek chance
On a day dominated once again by Mathieu van der Poel, the story behind the winner told only part of what unfolded at the E3 Saxo Classic. For Mads Pedersen, the race slipped away not through lack of strength, but through positioning, timing and a numbers game he could not win.
Pedersen crossed the line in ninth for Lidl-Trek, a result that reflected a day where he was present without ever quite being decisive.
“Actually, it was okay. Tough day,” Pedersen told reporters afterwards, including Domestique. “As we talked about before the race, it’s different to race in Belgium than to race in Milan-Sanremo last week. So yeah, a decent start, and now we look forward for the rest.”
The difference he alluded to became clear as the race unfolded. When the key move formed behind Van der Poel, with riders like Florian Vermeersch getting up the road, Pedersen was not there.
Pedersen admitted he simply was not where he needed to be when the race split. “I was just not far enough in the front. And if you’re not in the first five, then it’s really tough to follow.”
He also pointed to the tactical reality of the modern Classics, with depth often playing a role next to individual strength.
“Other teams are also racing, you know, and they have other plans than us. And then you have a team like Red Bull. With that many numbers, of course they’re not just pulling. They are attacking, and they’re super smart. So yeah, well played.”
When asked how the cobbles felt after his recent injury, the Dane said that it felt better last year than it did today.
In the closing kilometres, as Van der Poel’s lead began to shrink and the race briefly reopened, Pedersen was able to start hoping again.
“Of course, with the speed we had, everything is possible with 10k to go,” he said. “But it was also not up to us to close the gap because we were only two guys. Other teams were way more than us.”
For stretches of the finale, he described himself and his teammate as passengers, waiting for others to commit to the chase that never fully materialised. There was still a sense of perspective. The Classics campaign is far from over, and Pedersen knows these races rarely follow a single script.
“It wasn’t the day, but the Classics are not over,” he said. “Recover and onto Sunday. It’s the only thing we can do.”
Result: E3 Saxo Classic
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