San Francisco Frontiers - Lidl-Trek celebrate 'perfect' day at Tour de France

Pedersen led home a Lidl-Trek one-two with US champion Quinn Simmons finishing second, while Vacek finished 10th having been part of the same breakaway group which contested the stage victory.

Those results were enough to also move Pedersen into the green points jersey, while Vacek took the lead in the young rider's white jersey competition.

"Everything was so perfect today, it couldn't be better," said the 24-year-old after the 182km run from Carcassonne to Foix in scorching heat in southwestern France.

"We didn't expect it even that good and it feels so nice to be here in the finish and take the green jersey, the white jersey, the stage win, even first and second in the stage."

With Pedersen by far the fastest sprinter in the breakaway group, Simmons and Vacek had worked hard to chase down every attack to ensure there was a sprint finish for their team-mate.

"It's unbelievable, really. Today, the commitment from the team and Mads suffering so hard in the last climb. I can only say it's amazing," added Vacek.

Taking the white jersey continued Vacek's fine season in which he finished third overall at the Tour of Switzerland last month, when he also finished with the young rider's jersey.

Pedersen paid tribute to his team-mates for their selfless efforts.

"With these two engines it was easier to control because they could help each other to close down everything," he said.

"And I also think that the other guys realised quite fast it would be tough for them to jump away from this group with these two guys controlling everything."

- 'Execute to perfection' -

Pedersen, 30, and his team had been targeting this stage since the Tour route was announced months ago.

Lidl-Trek team director Steven de Jongh drove the 182km route from Carcassonne to Foix and then rang Pedersen to tell him that it was ideally suited to the Dane's strengths.

"Steven is an incredible workaholic. He's doing a lot of recon for these days and it's really important for him to know what kind of stages we are starting," said Pedersen.

"He called me and said: 'I believe this is going to be a breakaway day and we're going to put as many guys as possible in the breakaway with you to win that stage'.

"Together we made a plan: try to go in the break with as many as possible, and then we have to see how it goes.

"It's never easy to make a plan and then execute it to perfection. And especially not when bookmakers and everyone else tells you that you're the main guy who's going to win today."

The early part of Pedersen's season was disrupted by a high-speed crash in Valencia, Spain, where he broke his wrist and collarbone.

He was back racing within six weeks and posted impressive top-10 finishes in major races including Milan-San Remo (fourth), the Tour of Flanders (fifth) and Paris-Roubaix (seventh).

But this was his first victory in 10 months.

"It was a tough comeback and we definitely pushed the limits to come back to the classics," he said.

"I also heard (in) a lot of places that I was wrong and... I should just stop the season -- (that) I would not win anything.

"So, it's nice to show them that they are definitely wrong."

U.Lee--SFF