Classics in doubt? Mads Pedersen to undergo surgery after Volta Comunitat Valenciana crash

Mads Pedersen’s first race of the season ended in disappointment on Stage 1 of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana, where he crashed and was forced to abandon.

The Dane was among the favourites for the opening stage, but he was notable by his absence in the select group of 60 riders that disputed the sprint finish in Torreblanca, where Biniam Girmay (NSN) took the spoils.

Shortly after the stage, Lidl-Trek confirmed that Pedersen had been taken to hospital, and subsequent assessments revealed fractures of the left wrist and right collarbone. The injuries will be operated on tomorrow, with the team’s immediate focus on ensuring a smooth recovery and minimising disruption to Pedersen’s season goals.

“We will announce his return to racing in due course and will share any further updates only if necessary,” the team said.

Pedersen himself struck an upbeat note on Instagram on Wedsnesday night, writing: “Not the best start of the year, but I’ll bounce back 💪”

It remains to be seen what the setback will mean for Pedersen’s early season programme, but it will impact his build-up one way or another. He had been due to race the Tour de Provence next week before stepping up his preparations for his first major target of the year: the Spring Classics, with Paris-Nice in March set to play a key role in that run in.

After the Classics, he is set to work towards his second big goal of the season, the Tour de France, where he will target the points classification