Pedersen wasn't part of Lidl-Trek's plans for the Tour de France this year. The team instead put their faith in Jonathan Milan, who also ended up winning the green jersey.
But next year, Mads Pedersen will make a comeback in the world's biggest cycling race. A race he has participated in five times before.
The Danish rider will be asked to chase stage wins and points for the green jersey, while his new teammate, Juan Ayuso, who signed a five-year contract in September, is expected to challenge for the overall classification.
The 23-year-old Spanish cycling talent will be helped by Mattias Skjelmose, who is also set to take part in the Tour de France this summer.
"Now that we have Ayuso on the team, we believe that it is the right mix to let us ride the Tour together", says Mads Pedersen to TV2 Sport
Ayuso's arrival on the team has also played a role in the decision to let Mads Pedersen ride the Tour de France instead of Jonathan Milan.
"When the team has a dream of getting on the podium with Juan (Ayuso, ed.), it is more difficult to combine with Jonny (Jonathan Milan, ed.), since, as we have seen before, he needs more people than I do to win in the sprints. That would then affect Ayuso's helpers. So in that way, it was a bit self-evident for the team that this was the path we should take in 2026", says Mads Pedersen.
Mads Pedersen has won two Tour de France stages in his career in 2022 and 2023.
Next year's Tour de France will take place from 4 July to 26 July.