“I really hope he will win a monument" - Departing Luca Guarcilena on what Mads Pedersen means to Lidl-Trek

Luca Guercilena is one of the key figures at Lidl-Trek, a manger who's been with the team for over a decade and helped it grow substantially into what is today one of the top teams in the sport. He has discussed the leadership of Mads Pedersen and his biggest regret.

Although the team can currently rely on a multitude of leaders such as Jonathan Milan, Giulio Ciccone, Derek Gee and Juan Ayuso; it was Pedersen who was developed mostly within the German structure and grown into an absolute leader.

A classics rider and sprinter in development, he took the cycling world by shock in 2019 when he won the Yorkshire World Championships. But in the years that followed, he would only evolve further.

“What I appreciate is that from his first years with the team when he was young, even when he won the World Championship, he has always been a guy who was inclined to listen to others, but also always express his own opinion," Luca Guercilena admitted. "He was never aggressive, always very straight and very clear.”

The Dane's pursuit for a monument is the biggest goal of his career remaining, but one that will have to wait at least another year. This is 'the one that got away' for Guercilena, his biggest regret. “That is the fact that we have not been able to have Mads win a Monument".

The Italian manager will not have the chance to do it, as he will be leaving the team after the Tour de France. This is part of the team's massive overhaul, which will see Andy Schleck become team CEO and none other than Grischa Niermann from Team Visma | Lease a Bike will become the team's new general manager.

Niermann will take on Guercilena's position, and will be working with Mads Pedersen. The Dane is, according to the man himself, an excellent leader despite his ambitions.

“When you calmly express your disappointment or your ideas to management, suddenly there’s mutual respect. Obviously sometimes I would have to say no to him in a very strong way, and he has always been very fair.”

“When there was a moment in which I needed to give a clear message to the whole group of riders, I knew that I could count on him. And he has always been in favour of helping the team more than himself.”

His pursuit to win a monument has been hampered by generational winners such as Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, but despite that hope can still be present.

This spring, despite a massive crash in early February that severely hampered his preparation, he still rode into a Top5 at the Tour of Flanders and seventh at Paris-Roubaix.

“I really hope he will win a monument, whether I’m there or not, because he really deserves it," Guercilena concluded.