Athletes know all about the best laid plans, and how things can go south. We saw this the other day when American ski star Lindsey Vonn was set to make a comeback in a quest for gold at the Olympics.
But an early crash kiboshed it. It happens–seemingly more than usual, lately–to pro cyclists.
Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, have all had crashes or bad luck (sometimes mutliple times in a year) that has seriously screwed up all their hard work getting ready for their big goals. The same can be said for former world champion Mads Pedersen.
Pedersen and challenging the best
The Dane is one of the few capable of challenging Alpecin–Deceuninck’s Mathieu van der Poel, world champion Tadej Pogačar, and Visma–Lease a Bike’s Wout van Aert. Unfortunately, he crashed hard and will be sidelined for a while.
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Pedersen went down on Stage 1 of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana, a 160km run from Segorbe to Torreblanca. Biniam Girmay, racing for his new team, NSN Cycling took the win.
Afterward, Lidl-Trek confirmed the damage.
“Mads Pedersen suffered a fracture of the left wrist and right collarbone in the crash on day one at Volta Comunitat Valenciana, which will be operated on tomorrow,” the team posted.
Recovery starts now
Pedersen addressed fans on Instagram: “This is not the best start to the year. But I’ll be back.”
The team added that its priority is ensuring he receives the best possible care, with the immediate focus on recovery and limiting disruption to his season goals.
“We will announce his return to racing in due course and will share any further updates only if necessary,” the German WorldTour squad said.
Pedersen had big ambitions for 2026, including the Spring Classics, and it’s unclear how the setback will affect his build-up — something he’s been working hard toward.
The 2026 Spring Classics
“I’ve shown it’s possible to beat Mathieu. Tadej is a different story, but he’s a star of cycling — not just now, but forever,” he told TNT. “Believe me, I try to find that last one per cent to beat these guys. I’m the one working my ass off every day.”
Pedersen is now back riding–albeit on the rollers, just under a week after his surgery. With such a good foundation, will he be able to get back to speed in time for the Classics, which are…
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