Mørkøv backs Mads Pedersen for European title despite Pogacar comeback rumours

Denmark coach Michael Mørkøv sees a major opportunity for Pedersen at the European Championships in Slovenia, on a course he believes is selective enough to create a hard race without necessarily putting the Dane out of contention.

“It will be a classic championship race,” Mørkøv told Feltet.

“It is open to everyone. The climb is hard enough for the lighter climbers to get away, and I feel we have several riders who can be there.”

That makes Pedersen one of Denmark’s clearest options.

The riders will tackle the Možjanca climb five times before a flatter run towards the finish in Šenčur, and Mørkøv believes Pedersen can survive the key selections before bringing his sprint into play.

“I can also see Mads P. getting over the climb with them, winning the sprint to the finish and becoming European champion,” he said.

“It would be huge.”

Pedersen also arrives in Slovenia with encouragement from the World Championships, where he finished as the second-best European.

For Mørkøv, that performance underlines just how realistic Denmark’s ambitions can be.

“If you look at the results from the World Championships, he was the second best European,” he said.

“It is right there for him.”

There is, however, one factor that could significantly change the complexion of the race. 

UAE Team Emirates-XRG have repeatedly said Tadej Pogačar’s 2026 season is over, but reports in Spain suggest the Slovenian is pushing for a surprise return on home roads.

According to El País, Pogačar wants to defend his European title and has sought medical clearance from Xavier Mir, the surgeon who operated on his fractured collarbone after the crash that ended his Vuelta a España.

Pogačar has since returned to training on the road, four weeks after suffering a complex collarbone fracture and a stable C7 vertebra fracture. UAE have maintained that there are no plans for him to race again this season, but the latest reports suggest he is trying to persuade the team to reconsider.

Mørkøv, for one, is not ready to rule it out.

“I personally need to see the start in Ljubljana before I believe that Pogačar isn’t racing,” he said.

“I think it will remain a possibility almost until the race actually starts.”

When reminded that UAE have already ruled out a return, Mørkøv stood by his view.

“Yes, that is what has been announced, but my gut feeling tells me I need to see it before I believe it,” he said.

“You have to remember that he is racing at home. The indications are that he is already training again. From my point of view, he has nothing to lose by starting and racing if he has even a minimal level of form.

“We’ll see,,” he concluded.

Whether Pogačar ultimately appears on the start line or not, Mørkøv’s message is clear: Denmark believe the course gives Pedersen a genuine route to the European title.