Bummer news for the Dane Mads Pedersen. His standout year has come to a sudden stop. The former world champion has been forced out of the European championships road race due to illness. This ends what was arguably the most successful season of his career.
Lidl–Trek has confirmed he will miss both the Münsterland Giro and the continental championships.
An impressive season for Mads Pedersen comes to a close
“After a long and successful season, Mads Pedersen has been taken out of action by illness,” the team said in a statement on X. “He will miss the Münsterland Giro as well as the European championship, and his season is now over. Get well soon, Mads!”
Pedersen had been in line to support fellow Dane Jonas Vingegaard in France. Instead, his season ends with a pretty long list of achievements: four Giro d’Italia stage wins, the Vuelta a Espana points title and a stage win, Gent–Wevelgem, plus podiums at Paris–Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders. He also soled to the win at the E3 Saxo Classic.
Meanwhile, the road race is shaping up to be quite the battle. This marks one of Vingegaard’s rare forays into one-day racing. The Dane is more used to racing stage races (quite well, as cycling fans know) but the hilly course in France suits him. But he faces stiff competition from his arch rival–two time world road champion Tadej Pogačar.
And there’s also three-time world champion, Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian must be looking to exact revenge after finishing a disappointing (well, for him) second at the world road race championships. (Imagine being such a superstar that you are bummed at a silver at the worlds.) Evenepoel’s day in Rwanda went south after getting dropped up Mount Kigali, along with a number of bike changes–some which may not have been necessary, according to the Belgian team mechanic.