“It’s going to be damn difficult” – Mads Pedersen casts fresh doubt over Milano-Sanremo return as fractures delay comeback

Mads Pedersen has delivered his clearest assessment yet of the challenge facing his Spring Classics comeback, admitting that even an early return to racing may now be unrealistic.

Speaking on his Lang Distance podcast, the Lidl-Trek rider explained that both injuries sustained in his violent crash at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana remain unresolved, casting serious doubt over his participation in the first Monument of the season.

“Yes, I would say so. It’s going to be damn difficult,” Pedersen said when asked whether Milano-Sanremo on 21 March is something that will likely have to be missed.

“Even E3 will still be hard to reach," the Danish former world champion adds. "It’s still a complicated fracture, and the bones in my hand haven’t healed yet.”

Pedersen revealed that while a brace has now been removed from his wrist, the process of recovery is still far from complete. “The splint I had was mainly to keep everything in place, and now it needs time to heal properly,” he explained. “My collarbone hasn’t healed yet either. So it’s not responsible to start racing again or spending huge hours out on the road.”

The Danish star crashed heavily on the opening stage of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana earlier this season, breaking both his wrist and collarbone in an incident that immediately disrupted his carefully planned build-up to the Classics.

Before the crash, Pedersen had been scheduled to follow his usual route toward the cobbled campaign, including races such as Paris-Nice and Milano-Sanremo, before shifting focus to the Belgian one-day races.

Those stepping stones have already disappeared from his programme.

The latest update reinforces the scale of the challenge. Even if Pedersen returns to the bike soon, the timeline now appears extremely tight.

Milano-Sanremo, long one of the Dane’s major spring objectives, is rapidly approaching, while races such as E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem follow shortly afterwards.

For a rider whose preparation normally involves weeks of road training and racing rhythm, the lack of outdoor kilometres is a significant concern. “We keep working, and we’ll see if it works out,” Pedersen said. “We believe in it until the very end, but nothing is certain yet.”

Despite the growing uncertainty surrounding the early part of the calendar, Pedersen’s ultimate spring ambitions remain unchanged.

The former world champion has repeatedly spoken about his desire to win one of cycling’s Monuments, particularly the cobbled races that suit his powerful, aggressive style. With Milano-Sanremo now looking increasingly unlikely, attention may shift toward the bigger northern goals later in the spring. That possibility remains dependent on recovery.

Pedersen has already returned cautiously to indoor training as part of his rehabilitation, but the next phase of his comeback will be dictated by how quickly both fractures heal and how soon he can safely resume full road training.

For now, the outlook remains uncertain.

Pedersen and Lidl-Trek continue to hope that progress in the coming weeks will reopen the door to the Classics. But as the Dane himself admits, the margin for error has become extremely small.