Great news for Mads Pedersen fans. The former world champ is set to return to racing this weekend at Milan-San Remo. The announcement is a quicker-than-expected comeback after the wrist fracture he suffered earlier this season at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
After a series of medical evaluations, the Lidl-Trek rider has been given full clearance to compete. It was a bummer way for the former world champion to start the season, but he thankfully got back on the bike pretty quick. He hasn’t raced since then, but the dude trains like a beast, so he may still be a force. Or at the least, get some speed in his gams.
Slow and steady
His recovery has been handled with care, his team pointed out, but also confidence.
Rather than rushing the process or holding back too long, the trainers at Lidl-Trek struck a balance.
That meant gradually reintroducing stress to the wrist while closely monitoring progress. Early sessions began on the rollers before moving outdoors, with adaptations made along the way to protect the injury. There’s no point in screwing things up by going too fast. There’s always lots of season left.
It may seem sudden that he’s back in action, but not to some of his peers.
Jasper Stuyven, now with Soudal Quick-Step was a long-time former teammate of Pedersen. Back in January, he said he’d be fine. Two years ago he broke his collarbone. That resulted in a race against time to get speed back in his legs. When he saw that Pedersen was already riding on the rollers, he definitely understood.
“That’s typical of cyclists,” Stuyven said to Sporza. “After a fall, most riders want to cycle again as soon as possible. Unlike Mads, I wasn’t on the rollers after 5 days. Not because my broken collarbone limited me, but because of the heavy impact of that nasty fall,” he said. “I couldn’t breathe for the first few days and my ribcage was a bit bruised. That’s why I didn’t think about getting on the bike at that moment.”
A start at La Classicissima wasn’t always on the cards. Initially, the focus was simply on healing and building back form. But strong numbers in training over the past week changed the conversation. With both the data and the medical team aligned, the decision was made: it’s time to pin a number on again.
For Pedersen, the goal is as much about getting back into race rhythm as it is about results. MSR offers the perfect platform to test the legs, rebuild confidence, and lay the groundwork for the upcoming Belgian Classics.
I mean, it is a 300km group ride (albeit,uh, quick) before they hit the tough stuff in the last 45 minutes. But race miles are race miles. And getting back on the horse is always key, no matter what sport.
Will the Dane be a force on Saturday? Maybe, maybe not. But either way whenever one of these pros crashes and is injured, it’s always a bit of a victory to see them back in the fray.