We caught up with Mads Pedersen whilst he recovers from a broken collarbone and wrist. Mads talks us through his surgery, recovery and road back to racing from his training camp in Mallorca
Below contains an excerpt from our latest podcast episode of In the Middle of Lidl-Trek. To listen, click here
Mads, we always start this podcast with asking people: where in the world they are. So Mads, where in the world are you right now?
I am currently in Mallorca, on my training camp to prepare for the classics. We are in a small town called Biniamar, on the edge of the mountains here in Mallorca. We are here with five riders, and some staff members like the mechanic, the chef, the soigneurs, and the doctor is here as well. He is here to make sure I am not overdoing anything with my hand.
Let’s take a little rewind back to the crash. Can you talk us through a bit what happened that led to the crash?
“It was a stressful moment in the race. Everyone needed to be in the front of the peloton before the climb, where it was slightly downhill. We were doing seventy kilometres an hour, or maybe more. There was a left-hand corner, and I was on the right side. A few guys on the left started touching handlebars, which caused them to go straight. A lot of us [in the peloton] only had one option, which was to go straight with them. Then I saw only one solution, I was trying to go over the edge where I saw some bushes. I hoped it would have been a soft landing, but there was a drop of one metre. I fell on a lot of stones, so my left wrist got a big hit, my collarbone broke, and also my face took a hit. So yes, it was a very nasty crash.”
If we didn't believe in it, I wouldn't be working my ass off, destroying myself on the Wahoo trainer.
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It’s been quite some weeks now since your crash. Could you talk us through how your recovery has progressed and how the surgery was?
“The surgery went well. The collarbone was an easy fix. The only thing was that they had to take out and old plate to put in a new one. So basically, my whole collarbone is a metal plate now. That was the most painful part after the surgery. Because of the screws in my bones, it really burned. The operation in the wrist went well as well. It was a little bit more difficult because of all the small bones in the wrist and the pressure you can put on it. The wrist needed good recovery, because if I started too early, the bones couldn’t handle the vibrations. It could be an issue for the future, but that’s something we take in the future. We try to push the limits to be ready for the classics!”
Your last race was the TT [Time Trial] at the Europeans [European Cycling Championships], so it has been a long time. Did you miss it?
“Yes, that’s for sure. It would have been nice to finish Valencia [Volta Comunitat Valenciana], to do Provence [Tour de la Provence], and also to be able to go to Paris-Nice soon. That’s a pity. It is a big question mark. How will the body react when we start racing in the classics, because if I make it to the classics, this will be my first races. We believe in it, and that it is still possible, even without that many race days. If we didn’t believe in it, I wouldn’t work my ass off, destroying myself on the Wahoo trainer.There are many ways to Rome, and this is a different way we are taking this year.”
What kind of volume of training are you doing at the moment?
Full. I am doing everything, but on the home trainer. Last block, I did twenty hours on the trainer!
To see Juan started racing with us, and then just starts winning right away. That’s super nice to see!
With a bit more time on your hands last week, did you keep up with how the guys have been getting on in the UAE Tour and the Volta ao Algarve?
“Of course. Jonny [Jonathan Milan] is flying. Five victories for him this year already, so that is really nice to see. I truly believe Jonny is the best sprinter in the world right now. So to see him keep winning like this and also to see the whole sprint train getting dialled in is really nice to see. And also, to see Juan started racing with us, and then just starts winning right away. That’s super nice to see as well. To take one stage victory and the GC is super nice for him and the team. I am sad missing out on racing with them, but I will come back for sure to race with them later this season.”
We have got some quickfire questions to finish off with you.
What is your favourite size SRAM chainring?
“56 single speed.”
What’s the best food prepared by Lidl-Trek chefs?
“The rice pudding from Mirko!”
Favourite warm-up song when you’re on the rollers before a TT?
“A Warrior’s Call – Volbeat”
What do you order at a coffee stop?
“Hot chocolate, I hate coffee, so hot chocolate.”
What’s your favourite training route and which company do you take with you?
“I don’t have a favourite lap, but a quiet place in the mountains, that’s really nice. And I just don’t want it to be with too many guys. I like to be two riders riding together.”
Last one. Of all the paint jobs you have had, which has been your favourite?
“I did really like the purple one from the Giro d’Italia last year. I had some quite nice ones throughout my career so far. I also would say the Tour de France bike from 2023. I had a chrome, rainbow-coloured Trek Madone. This bike was incredible.”
