Lidl-Trek rider cleared to compete after ahead-of-schedule rehabilitation from wrist fracture
Mads Pedersen will line up at Milano-Sanremo this weekend after recovering from the wrist fracture sustained earlier this season at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, with the Lidl-Trek rider cleared to race following a series of medical checks that confirmed he is fit to compete.
The Danish rider’s rehabilitation has progressed more quickly than anticipated, with the team taking a carefully managed approach to his return to the bike.
“Mads’ recovery has progressed as well as we could have hoped — if not better,” said Dr Jens Hinder, Head of Rider Welfare. “With fractures, the central challenge is always timing: mobilise too early and you risk the repair, but immobilise the joint for four weeks and you then face a further two to three weeks rebuilding range of motion.
We took a carefully managed approach, introducing gentle wrist loading early — beginning on the rollers in Mallorca, then progressing to a gravel bike with adapted handlebars — always within strict parameters to ensure there was no risk to the fracture site. Mads’ attitude throughout made a real difference; his positive mindset was a genuine factor in both the healing and rehabilitation process.
All medical checks confirm he is ready to race.”
Pedersen himself admitted that a start at La Classicissima had not been the original plan, but that strong training sessions over recent days convinced both rider and team that the decision was right.
“Honestly, the plan was not to race Sanremo,” Pedersen said, “but we have done some really good training and we wanted to see specific numbers to be able to have a chance to make a good result in this race as well. After a few hard trainings this week, we believe that it is a good decision to race again, pin the numbers on, and get comfortable in a race again. Of course, the doctors and my coach also had a say in how and when I could make it back. Dr Jens did a lot of examinations with me and my hand and he is 100 percent confident that I am able to race again already — so it’s pretty nice to be back already. It’s really nice to be able to be at this point and start here in Italy. It’s a good starting point ahead of the Belgian Classics too.”
Milano-Sanremo takes place on Saturday.
