Rad-Star Mads Pedersen has achieved his third day of the day at the fifth stage at the Giro d’Italia, expanded the overall lead-and extended his contract at Lidl-Trek to his end of his career.
The 29-year-old Dane announced the contract extension in a message from the USA on Wednesday (May 14, 2025) after the start of the fifth Giro stage. “The decision to stay at Lidl-Trek for the rest of my career was actually very easy for me”said Pedersen, who came to the team in 2017, which was still called Trek-Segafredo at the time.
The team is for him “Like a second family”added the fast all -rounder. His contract extension, through which he is expected to spend his entire World Tour career with a team, is “A little bit of history“, said Pedersen.
Big goal: win classics
With Lidl-Trek, he still pursues great goals: After the 2019 World Cup title and stage victories in the three major state tours, Pedersen also wants to triumph with one of the cycling monuments, the five classic races. “I am convinced that the support of this team will be possible in the coming years before my career ends”he said.
Pedersen is not the first top driver who is with one “Lifetime Contract” bind to a team. Last year, Belgian Woout Van Aert, at the Giro one of Pedersensen’s main competitor in the sprint finals, had extended his contract with Visma-Lease A Bike to his end of his career.
Just ahead of Zambanini and Pidcock
At the stage on Wednesday, Pedersen won after 151 kilometers from Ceglie Messapica to Matera in the mass sprint in front of the Italian Edoardo Zambanini and the British mountain bike Olympic champion Thomas Pidcock and can hardly be beat on the flatter stages. Pedersen had already triumphed twice at the opening weekend in Albania.
In the overall ranking, Pedersen enlarged its lead over Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic to 17 seconds thanks to the bonus customers. The Slovenian, who won the Giro in 2023, remains the top favorite for the overall victory.
The next mass sprint is waiting for Thursday
The Giro reaches the Italian port city of Naples on Thursday. After 227 kilometers with start in Potenza, another mass sprint can be expected in the final of the sixth stage.