Mads Pedersen welcomes Filippo Ganna to Lidl-Trek: 'Sometimes I'll lose because of it, other times I'll win'

Ganna's move from Netcompany-Ineos was confirmed last week, with the 30-year-old signing a three-year contract that will keep him at Lidl-Trek until the end of 2029. After eight seasons with the British squad, the two-time world time trial champion is set for a new challenge, with the Spring Classics among his main objectives.

Speaking on the Lang Distance podcast, Pedersen made no secret of his enthusiasm for the signing.

"I think it's really cool," Pedersen said. "He's the kind of rider who can be there in the finales."

For Pedersen, the biggest benefit is not necessarily having another powerful rider working on the front. It is having someone capable of playing his own cards when the race reaches its decisive moments.

"I think he'll complement me well in races. He knows that if we get into a finale and it comes down to a sprint, he knows who the sprinter is," Pedersen explained.

"But it certainly won't hurt me if we're in a finale and he has a rider up the road, for example. That means I can relax a bit more. Sometimes I'll lose because of that, and other times I'll definitely win because of it."

Pedersen's own spring campaign underlined just how difficult it can be to turn strong performances into victories. After fracturing his collarbone and wrist in a crash at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in February, the Dane made a remarkably swift return to racing. 

He finished fourth at Milan-Sanremo, fifth at the Tour of Flanders and seventh at Paris-Roubaix. Given the severity of his injuries, it was a remarkable comeback, although Pedersen ultimately fell short of the Monument victory he had been chasing.

Ganna could provide another way to change that. The Italian has already shown that he can deliver in the biggest one-day races. He finished runner-up at Milan-Sanremo in both 2023 and 2025, before claiming a memorable victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen in 2026, beating Wout van Aert.

His ambitions at Lidl-Trek extend well beyond time trials.

"I have big goals I hope to achieve with Lidl-Trek, particularly in the Classics. With the team we will have, nothing is out of reach," Ganna said when his transfer was announced.

Pedersen believes that ambition was a major factor behind the move.

"I'm pretty sure that's one of the big reasons why he signed with the team, to focus on the Classics," the Dane said.

Ganna's arrival comes during a busy transfer period for Lidl-Trek, with the team also recruiting Héctor Álvarez, Igor Arrieta, Felix Gall, Jordan Jegat, Jordi Meeus, Gregor Mühlberger and Georg Zimmermann for 2027. Meanwhile, Giulio Ciccone is leaving for Pinarello-Q36.5.

With Ganna set to join him in the Classics, Pedersen is pleased with the direction Lidl-Trek is taking.

"I see it as a huge advantage that they [Lidl-Trek] have signed Top Ganna," he said.