Since 2017 when Mads Pedersen burst onto the WorldTour scene, he has raced under the Trek banner. From Trek-Segafredo to Lidl-Trek, the Danish rider has been resolute in his commitment to the team. Now, after reflecting on his future, Pedersen has decided he cannot imagine racing for anyone else, officially confirming he will remain with Lidl-Trek for the rest of his professional career.

Pedersen, current leader of the Giro d'Italia, has been experiencing an exceptional career within the Trek family. In his first season with the team, he already showed an indication of his versatility to come, with victories in the Danish road race and time trial championships, and winning the overall classification at Tour du Poitou-Charentes before his overall victory in the Tour of Denmark.

Nine years later, Pedersen is in the form of his life and has no intention of slowing down. With 52 professional victories, including a World Championship, stages in every Grand Tour and several classics, the Dane continues to set ambitious goals. Currently wearing the Pink Jersey as Giro leader and enjoying a good advantage in the points classification, after winning two of the first three stages. However, he is not content to sit back and look at what he has achieved so far: he is hungry for more, starting with other Giro stages and the Ciclamino jersey.

Reflecting on his decision to commit to Lidl-Trek, Mads Pedersen stated: "Deciding to stay with Lidl-Trek for the rest of my career was actually quite easy for me. Since I joined the group in 2017, I have always felt welcomed and supported by everyone here. Every time my contract was up for renewal, it was easy to decide to stay. Also because I really like everyone working within the team. Each time it was an easy decision".

And further: "I have always had maximum commitment from the team, and they have always had confidence in what I was doing, and confidence that I would always give my best. When you get this conviction from a team manager, the performance group, the staff and so on, it's easy to decide to stay with this team. And now we've ended up in a situation where I'm staying here for my entire WorldTour career. Obviously, this is something I'm really proud of: making a bit of history with Trek. It's such an honor to have the team's support to do this. This team has become like a second family to me, and every time I show up at a race, a training camp, or any team activity, I truly feel at home".

And finally: "My hope for the next years of my career is certainly to win this Monument that I continue to fight for, and I truly believe, with the support of this team, it will be possible in the coming years before my career ends. So this is definitely one of my biggest goals for the next years, and in general I just want to win as much as possible, but at the same time want to be a good leader and try to help the new riders who are growing".

Luca Guercilena, General Manager of Lidl-Trek, commented: "Seeing Mads grow into the rider he is today has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. From the first day, it was clear he was special. He's not just a phenomenal talent on the bike, he's also a leader who inspires those around him. You see it when he races: he gives everything for the team and his teammates give everything back. I have no doubt that Mads will continue to push himself and his teammates until the day he decides to hang up his wheels: his loyalty and dedication to this team have helped shape the culture of Lidl-Trek, and we are incredibly proud to have him with us for the long haul".