<\/p>\n
Pedersen is direct about the effort required to challenge the sport\u2019s biggest names. \u201cBelieve me, I try to find this last 1% to beat these guys,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m the guy who\u2019s working my ass off every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
That frustration surfaces when his status is questioned. \u201cSo everyone that\u2019s arguing against that I\u2019m on the same level as these guys, to be honest, I think they should shut their mouths and try to work the same amount of hours that I do on the bike,\u201d Pedersen said. \u201cBecause I\u2019m the one who wants to beat them more than these people want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Confidence forged at the Giro<\/p>\n
Much of that belief was reinforced during a dominant Giro d Italia. Pedersen won four stages, briefly wore the maglia rosa and consistently imposed himself in the toughest sprint finishes of the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe confidence comes from when I start a race,\u201d he explained. \u201cI have done everything in my power to be the best version of myself, and when I have done, I believe that I can win the bike race.\u201d<\/p>\n
That confidence does not fade when the start list is stacked. \u201cI also believe that when I start against Mathieu, Wout van Aert, Tadej, and all the others like Ganna, all the other strong riders,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I have done everything to perfection, I can beat these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pedersen accepts the reality of talent gaps, but not inevitability. \u201cI\u2019m fully aware that some of them are bigger and more talented riders than me,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re unbeatable. I have shown that before, and hopefully I can keep showing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
2026 focus sharpened on Classics and Tour<\/p>\n
Lidl-Trek have already confirmed that Pedersen will return to the Tour de France in 2026 after sitting out this year\u2019s race. His role is clearly defined: chase stage wins and mount a full-scale assault on the green jersey, while Juan Ayuso targets the overall classification.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Classics, it\u2019s a given I will do the Classics,\u201d Pedersen said. \u201cAnd after that I will do the Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n
His long-term ambitions leave little room for ambiguity. \u201cThe goal for me and the rest of my career is to win a Monument and the green jersey in the Tour,\u201d he said. \u201cNext year that will be the main goal, to win in the Classics and win the green jersey in the Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n