"He also needs to get going soon" - Clock is ticking for Mads Pedersen's World Championships dream after he recovers from illness
CyclingTuesday, 08 September 2026 at 12:30
The World Championships are fast approaching for some of the big contenders as a a new rainbow jersey is set to be crowned on September 27th. With Tadej Pogacar ruled out, several contenders are now thrust into the battle for victory. One of those could well be Mads Pedersen.
The Lidl-Trek classics specialist, a former world champion in 2019, is among Denmark's selection for the elite men's road race, but finds himself on the back-foot after a sub-par Vuelta a Espana was ended last week by illness.
But now, after a round of anti-biotics, Pedersen is back healthy again and has returned to training with three weeks to get himself back up to speed to challenge in the big race. His coach has confirmed that he has resumed light training.
Lidl-Trek coach Mattias Reck confirmed Pedersen went out for a training ride on Sunday as he mapped out what the Dane needs to do and the rough plan for the coming weeks.
Mads Pedersen on stage 10 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana
Pedersen feeling better after Vuelta illness
“I spoke to him on Saturday and he said he was feeling better and better, so on Sunday he was going to ride for a couple of hours,” Reck told TV2 Sport.
Noting Pedersen's usual aptitude towards training, Reck feels confident that he can return to high level, plotting interval training and heat adaptation work before the Dane jets off to Canada for the championships.
“Now that we have taken him out, I hope he can start training really well again soon,” Reck said.
“We all know that Mads is very good at training, so I’m positive, but he also needs to get going soon. We’ll start with some endurance blocks, then we’ll add intervals and heat training, because he is very good at that, and then we’ll head to Canada.”
Reck is positive but no guarantees
When it comes to Pedersen reaching the levels needed to rival Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and co in a stacked startlist? Reck sees that as a possibility, but won't guarantee it just yet.
He summarised: “I can’t promise anything, but I’m positive.”
Pogacar's absence after suffering several injuries in a Vuelta crash on stage 8 has changed the dynamic of the race. While the same contenders arrive, the race will take a different shape as the riders don't look to the Slovenian to set the tone for the race.
An invaluable opportunity for many riders who have previously taken top ten performances at the championships, the Montreal championships are sure to be one to remember.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Pogi is not racing he crashed out lol🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣paultryan200208-09-2026
- Even Britain did better at leaving than you. You just can’t resist can you. There’s a word for that. Actually, you can choose from a few.Jumpyjohn08-09-2026
- C’mon man, we got your point (even if not everyone agrees) but don’t make yourself look silly by insisting. According to the listing here (which no-one so far has called out for being wrong or incomplete, I’m not going to check), by my calculations we are at 11200CHF after 15 stages, 8 of them had zero, there is only doubt about stages 8 and 11 but it won’t make much difference. How on earth do you think they’ll get to 63k, there aren’t enough commissaires and hours to write fines for every rider?Jumpyjohn08-09-2026
- Sometimes I can still hear Mou's voice on the wind..wrsty08-09-2026
- If he never won another race he'd still be worth his weight in gold to the team as a fan favourite to trot out, so I'm sure they aren't worried about anythingwrsty08-09-2026
- Yes, I guess they will have done that. But Pog having to sign it less than a week after a severe concussion, with initial recovery interrupted by a lengthy operation, the timing seems wrong to me. But that's just my feeling/opinion.Hills3308-09-2026
- They can put a clause into the contract... if Pogi can't race anymore. You can put in contract terms for it's cancellation, exit conditions, or specified notice periods. It's all possible...and everyone signing has to agree.PogiSloFans08-09-2026
- It's interesting he mentioned Lorenzo Finn. It would be absolutely incredible if Finn could follow another 19 year old Italian super talent - Kimi Antonelli - and go on to become World Champion!Cooldude08-09-2026
- In what way? If you mean I didn't put it very well, I'm thinking this was not a great time for UAE to be signing a contract extension with Tadej, with the worst-case possibility that, like Luke Rowe, he may never be able to race again.Hills3308-09-2026
- 2034, not 2032, was what I gotRidesHills08-09-2026
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