Mads Pedersen wins Tour de France stage 4

On stage four of the 2026 Tour de France, Lidl-Trek could handle the heat.

Ahead of the race, the team had highlighted this punchy, breakaway day from Carcassonne to Foix as one that suited rouleurs such as Mads Pedersen, Mathias Vacek and Quinn Simmons perfectly. Pundits said that the Dane was the favourite to win the stage, but it was going to take tactical and physical prowess for him to win the battle that would ensue over the next 181-kilometers.

The first fight was making it into the decisive breakaway which formed in the opening part of the stage. Lidl-Trek committed fully to the opportunity, with multiple riders represented at the front of the race – every attack was covered, every acceleration was answered. In the end, Vacek, Simmons and Pedersen completed their mission, with all three riders making it into the 34-man group that would eventually come to the finish line.

As the kilometres ticked down, the race increasingly became a showcase for the team’s cohesion. When attacks came on the sharp climbs peppering the race route, each rider took turns controlling the pace, disrupting the moves of rival teams and ensuring that they remained in the strongest position against some tough opposition. Inside the final 30-kilometers of the race, only ten riders remained in the front group. With three men still there, Lidl-Trek had transformed numerical superiority into a tactical advantage that no rival could match.

Simmons and Vacek kept a tough pace in the run-in to Foix, making it challenging for any attacks to stick and allowing Pedersen to prepare for the final sprint – a selfless show of teamwork from the two national champions. When the decisive moment arrived, it was down to the former world champion to finish the job. The pressure was on, but Pedersen is a man who thrives on the biggest stages.

The 30-year-old was untouchable when he opened up his sprint, with no one able to challenge his powerful pedal strokes in the final meters to the line. Behind him, Simmons sprinted to second place too, making it an outstanding 1-2 finish for Lidl-Trek. This victory was not about individual brilliance alone, but built on collective strength, patience and flawless communication.

Post-Race Reaction from Mads 🎤

I would say, this is a masterpiece in teamwork.

With Quinn and Vacek there it was easier. Alone it would have been hard to control who would attack and be on top of every move. Movistar was there with two guys and tried quite some times, but I also think that the other guys realised quite fast it would be tough for them to jump away from the group, with these two guys controlling it for me. I was suffering a lot on the last climb, and they did incredible to pace it well for me and make sure that we didn't lose too much time over the top. Then, they were just machines from that point to the finish line, so what a team effort and what a team win today.

I had a good talk with Luca, our General Manager, before the race and he said, please win me a stage and that this would be a good one for me. So, I would say that this stage is for Luca and all the good years we had together. It's not a secret: Luca was the guy who signed me in 2017 and the trust he gave me, the support he always gave me has been incredible. It's nice to end this journey like this, to give him a victory. I promised him that already before the Tour – it's nice to now give it to him. I'm really grateful for everything he has done for me and also to point out and, you know, give me a lot of pressure to win today, it's still magical.

A Masterclass from Mads 💯P

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It wasn’t only with a stage victory that the team enjoyed success. Pedersen’s win moved him into possession of the green jersey, rewarding both his consistency and the relentless work of the entire team during the opening stages. Meanwhile, Mathias Vacek successfully secured the white jersey – completing the hat-trick of young rider Grand Tour jerseys – going into stage 5, keeping calm and focused as his teammates exploded the race from the breakaway.

In the words of Mathias Vacek 🎤

The jersey? I didn't expect it. The plan was to go for the stage, it was the priority. When I knew, in the last 30km, that I was going also for white, it gave me a kick and I was just trying to go as fast as possible and also keep everything together for Mads to go for the stage.

Everything went perfectly for the Team today! First and second on the stage, Mads in green, me in the white jersey. I said before the Tour, I just want to take it step by step and just ride without pressure. I know I'm in good shape, so I believe that there will be a possibility to go for a stage. Today, we did it as a team and the performance was super good. I have super good legs and I have the white jersey and this is a dream come true now.

My third Grand Tour and third white jersey, it's unbelievable.

With four stages of the Tour complete, Lidl-Trek will use this victory to take momentum into the next three weeks, balancing both general classification and stage win targets.