The Danish Lidl-Trek rider had a scare on stage 12, but ultimately held on to the 20 points he'd earned in the sprint. Chaos ensued among the stewards and team radio.
Mads Pedersen , leader of the points classification at the 2026 Tour de France, took a huge risk during the intermediate sprint of stage 12 : the Dane from Lidl-Trek was initially flagged for a potentially irregular move, but ultimately avoided any formal sanction or demotion, despite being warned by the race stewards.
With only one escapee leading the peloton at the intermediate sprint, there were still numerous valuable green classification points available—and Pedersen, determined to claim the green jersey, couldn't afford to lose any. A heated sprint ensued, fought to the last meter.
After a solid approach from his team, Pedersen made a decisive move, but in the final moments he veered to the right, blocking the path of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and forcing him to brake to avoid the barriers. The Dane crossed the finish line first, taking home a crucial 20 points.
Immediately after the finish line, the two sprinters were seen talking and then shaking hands—a gesture that apparently defused tensions. But official Tour channels announced that the sprint was "under review" and that the results were not yet official.
The situation became even more chaotic over the radio: the Lidl-Trek car was summoned by the commissars' car, and Pedersen himself was called to report to the officials. On the radio communications broadcast live on TV, the rider could clearly be heard exclaiming, "I don't know what the commissars are doing." The response from the team car came back: "They told us you'll be demoted, but now we're not hearing anything on the radio." Teammate Quinn Simmons added his version of events: "I saw everything, he didn't move, it's completely false."
In the end, to the surprise of many, the stewards confirmed the original result: Pedersen retained his points and his position. This decision sparked controversy, especially in light of the previous day's events, when Jasper Philipsen was first demoted and then reinstated in the stage 11 standings—a saga that had already sown confusion among the peloton and fans.
Sports journalist and cycling enthusiast, following professional cycling for over 10 years. Collaborates with FantaCycling to bring you the best analysis and news from the world of cycling.
Gaviria falls on the final straight and breaks up the group
The Irishman from EF Education-EasyPost had to curb his attacking instincts due to the heatwave, but now he feels the moment has come
The Danish Lidl-Trek rider had a scare on stage 12, but ultimately held on to the 20 points he'd earned in the sprint. Chaos ensued among the stewards and team radio.
Australian Michael Matthews justifies chasing UAE Team Emirates-XRG stages at the 2026 Tour de France, as he himself battles to return to the top after injury
