Pedersen loses Circuit Sarthe overall in late crash

LA CHAPELLESAINTAUBIN FRANCE APRIL 08 Mads Pedersen of Denmark and Team Trek Segafredo Yellow Leader Jersey crosses the finish line during the 68th Circuit Cycliste Sarthe Pays de la Loire 2022 Stage 4 a 1364km stage shortened due to bad weather conditions from La ChapelleSaintAubin to La ChapelleSaintAubin CircuitSarthe on April 08 2022 in La ChapelleSaintAubin France Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
Mads Pedersen dropped from GC lead to 24th overall after crash (Image credit: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

Mads Pedersen went away from the final stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe with ‘some scrapes’ rather than the winner’s trophy on Friday, calling his reversal of fortune “shit to lose the race this way” from a late crash.

All the GC contenders were in a large group that had just caught a nine-rider breakaway on the fourth and final 9.6km finishing lap of the race, Pedersen set to seal his overall victory. However with 4km to go, 20 or so riders went down on the rain-soaked tarmac, including Pedersen, leaving a handful of riders safely out front to contest for the stage win. This included Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) and Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin-Fenix), who went one-two at the line and gave Kooij the GC victory as well.

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Jackie Tyson
North American Production editor

Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).