Today will be the fifth stage of the pink race and Mads Pedersen wants to be a protagonist again. The Dane has already won two stages, but at the finish line in Matera he intends to seek his third success. "With the legs I have and have shown in Albania, I have to try: it would be nice to win again and doing it with the leader's jersey would be splendid".

Today's stage is 151 kilometers long, it will be predominantly flat but about 30 kilometers from the finish, there will be the GPM of Montescagioso, 2.6 kilometers long with an average gradient of 9%. It will be an excellent point to make a selection, and for riders like Pedersen, it could be the right moment to implement a precise plan. "In the hotel when I return, we'll devise a tactic and see what will be possible".

The Dane was blocked by a crash at the end of yesterday's stage in Lecce and therefore couldn't find himself in the best position when the sprint started, but he still managed to take useful points for the cyclamen jersey.

"Just before the finish line there was an unpleasant situation with a crash and I was left behind, there were just over 15 kilometers left, so it was a tough chase. My teammates spent a lot of energy for me and we had to push hard to get back, but in the end we took useful points for the cyclamen jersey". In the incident, his teammate and fellow countryman Soren Kragh Andersen was also involved, who arrived last at the finish line but was forced to withdraw due to a wrist fracture.

Pedersen doesn't like to look at the stage in advance, and usually prefers a quick glance, but this time there's a possibility of achieving a new victory and to do so he will have to do a careful analysis of the route.

"Today's stage could be suitable for me, honestly I don't look at race profiles before arriving at the Giro, but yes, it's a day that could adapt very well to a rider like me and for this we will do an analysis. It's very special to wear the pink jersey and I had only worn it for the time trial stage and yesterday instead I managed to wear it in a line stage and I liked it very much. It's a very special jersey and it's nice when people recognize you immediately when you pass, so for today it was an indescribable experience".