"If Mads is open to it, then we must do it" - Could Pedersen finally be set for extended altitude camp in search for monument glory in 2025?
Cycling
Mads Pedersen has long been one of the most feared and renowned riders in the peloton. As he searches for a big monument victory in 2025 though, could the Danish Lidl-Trek leader be set to finally have an extended altitude camp after avoiding them for so long?
"Mads himself has said publicly that even if his coach says he has to do it, he doesn't want to," laughs the former world champion's coach, Mattias Reck in quotes collected by Ekstra Bladet. "But it is something we talk about. I'm sure we'll do a real altitude training camp at some point," he adds.
As mentioned, Pedersen has previously been very against the idea of going to altitude, not feeling it will be of any benefit to him. As Reck says though, for the sake of experiment, it might finally be time to give it a proper go. "Mads has said 'ok, at some point we will try it'. But the reason I haven't pushed for it that much is that I have my doubts about how much it gives," admits Reck honestly. "Riders react very differently to altitude training camps."
"If Mads is open to it, then we must do it. Because so far we haven't explored that and if it just makes him lose an extra pound then maybe it will help but I'm not sure so I don't want to gamble," the coach concludes. "So it will happen at some point, but I don't yet know when or what year, he says in conclusion."
Previously, Pedersen has been revealed to be targeting the Classics and Monuments in 2025, aiming for a big spring and potentially a first ever Monument victory for the 28-year-old. Only time will tell if a trip to altitude could prove a decisive move in his quest.
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- yeah, that’s a more fair assessment. “reaching mathieu’s level” doesn’t mean you’re planning to replicate his whole career. the former IS doable, potentially. it’s just the latter that likely is not.OCexile25-12-2024
- That’s not entirely true. Every person follows their own development path and peaks differently. Remco and Primoz had hardly started cycling before elite level. Jonas was pretty much under the radzr until he unexpectedly had to take over responsibility at JV. Some guys only get real good in their thirties others have peaked mid-twenties. You can’t tell in advance how and upto what level they will progress, obviously his career might not have MVDPs length but nothing says he could not end up doing a few seasons at his level.Mistermaumau25-12-2024
- well, del grosso is 21 right now. when mathieu was a year younger than that, he was already winning elite level world championships, not U23. i think del grosso will be a very good pro for years, but if he was really going to be the next van der poel someday, he’d already have to be at that level right NOW. van der poel was showing signs of true greatness when he was 15-16. THAT’S what generational talent looks like.OCexile25-12-2024
- Yeah.... gear 😅.mikolajjj24-12-2024
- It shouldn’t be about expectations in the first place should it? Besides, if you look at everyone’s calculations as a whole they don’t add up in the first place. There’ll be 2-3 riders with a 50% chance, a dozen with 10 or 20% and dozens more with a 5% so we’re expecting at least 2 if not 3 winners. Remind me again who won before her? Says it all about using data to decide on participation.Mistermaumau24-12-2024
- Ok, happy I’m not too interested in this team coz’ the account of what happened is really hard to follow.Mistermaumau24-12-2024
- The UCI is worse than USA CyclingVeganpotter24-12-2024
- It's not like they wanted her to not win😅 She had an outstanding Olympics. But there's a reason why she wasn't expected to win the road race and that's ok. Things like this happen and it's great...better than seeing expected winners win.Veganpotter24-12-2024
- Bruyneel ? The man with a lifetime ban from cycling...why do you keep giving him and his doper mate, Armstrong, a platform?DJ24-12-2024
- yeah, agree. on the subject of being a “complete rider,” i do think that’s getting more interesting. mathieu seems to have decided he wants to get much better at climbing the the high mountain passes. he appears to be looking for new challenges, which should be interesting to watch. in most cases you’d dismiss a goal like that at age 30, but it’s mvdp. he’s never going to climb with the real climbers, but if he can improve enough it could open up stage wins when the parcours isnt just purely toothy and punchy.OCexile24-12-2024