Mads Pedersen is not going to trip the Tour de France in 2025 as he heads to the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España as an alternative. Jonathan Milan is now set to steer Lidl-Trek’s dash ambitions in July.
There was speak that the pair might head to the Tour collectively, with Pedersen to steer out Milan after they paired up completely on the Lidl-Deutschland Tour in 2024, nonetheless, Lidl-Trek have opted to separate their powers between the three Grand Tours looking for a sweep of the factors jerseys.
Former world champion Pedersen will trip a “copy-paste” schedule up till the race he desires to win most, Paris-Roubaix, earlier than heading again to the Giro for the fourth time in his profession.
“Until Roubaix, it is a copy-paste of the opposite years, beginning in France, coaching camp, Paris-Nice and the Classics from there on. After that, I’ll have a smaller break as a result of I’m going to the Giro this yr,” mentioned Pedersen in a press convention on Friday.
“After the Giro, I’ll, in fact, attempt to hold the form going till the Sprint Challenge Copenhagen, the brand new WorldTour race, after which nationwide championships per week after.
“There will probably be no Tour de France for me this yr. I’ll have a summer time at residence, after which I’ll do the Tour of Denmark, and I’ll do a Vuelta afterwards.”
Pedersen confirmed that Milan would make his debut and be the chosen sprinter for the Tour, as he is higher suited to the route with seven attainable dash alternatives en route from Lille to Paris.
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After Milan quadrupled his win tally on the Giro final yr from one stage victory to 4 and defended his ciclamino factors jersey on the identical time, Lidl-Trek have a greater probability at successful a number of phases of the Tour with the Italian, believes Pedersen. Milan, at age 24, has shortly established himself as one of many quickest pure sprinters on this planet alongside Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier.
“It’s not a single choice by me. We are an enormous crew now, and we’ve got a variety of large riders, and the crew have large targets in all of the Grand Tours,” mentioned Pedersen.
“The course of the Tour suits Johnny [Milan] rather well. For me, he is probably the greatest sprinters on this planet, if not the most effective sprinter and naturally, he ought to go to the Tour with that quantity of Sprint phases.
“It was not a simple choice as a result of, in fact, I wish to go to the Tour and battle for inexperienced. But I additionally see the purpose that we will win, as a crew, a variety of phases within the Tour with Johnny, and I feel that is the proper choice it is so much simpler to win, dream situation, three, 4 phases with him than it’s with me.”
Pedersen began his first Grand Tour on the Giro in 2017. He’ll chase phases and attempt to defend the factors jersey Milan received in 2024 earlier than going to solely his second Vuelta later in the summertime. At his first Spanish Grand Tour, he received three phases and the inexperienced jersey.
“I at all times just like the Giro. My first and second Grand Tour was there. It’s arduous racing, perhaps a bit too shit climate generally. But that is not the fault of the race. It’s extra, you understand, the timing of the yr,” mentioned Pedersen.
“But I do actually just like the Giro and we include large ambitions to win as many phases as attainable, and in addition the factors jersey. Jonny did very good in 2024 and I’ll, in fact, attempt to do the identical as him in 2025.”
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