Gallery
Why He Chased TdF26-87
It was debated whether Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) would have anything left in his legs after the long chase down of the breakaway. While he didn't win the intermediate sprint in Melisey, he did just manage to nip pass Biniam Girmay (NSN Pro Cycling) to take second with the maximum points going to Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech). Pedersen needed to be up here to gain as many points as possible since Philipsen is closing in on the lead in the race for the Maillot Vert. Pedersen's second goes a long way to keeping him in green. Philipsen's successful intermediate sprint moves him to second in the sprinters' competition. He has done well in the intermediate sprints, but Philipsen has yet to put together a sprint for a stage win this Tour. It is unlikely that he, or any of the pure sprinters, will have another chance to win a stage with the possible exception of the final stage into Paris.