Mads Pedersen anticipates Tour of Flanders: "It's a f*cking tough race and not just because I have a few bruises"

Mads Pedersen is confirmed to be racing the Tour of Flanders but he knows that a lot of pain awaits him. Although he's recovered enough to be in the Flandrien monument he is aware that ambitions must be moderated, but that the race will be brutal for every rider.

"My body hurts. You feel it in your underwear, when you pull the covers off you in bed, it just hurts. I also know that it won't be fixed in three days," Pedersen said in a Wielerflits interview. "My body isn't going to be perfect on Sunday. I appear at the start with a different mindset than before my fall. I know that if you want to win the Tour of Flanders, you have to be 100%. I have to be honest: after the fall, I am not that now. But on the other hand: nothing is impossible. And if everything goes my way, it's still possible to win."

Lidl-Trek will take to the start without Jasper Stuyven and Alex Kirsch who had been on great form, whilst Pedersen himself will not likely be at his best. He's set to be an outsider or possibly podium contender still, together with Toms Skujins who avoided the Dwars door Vlaanderen disaster.

"But I know one thing for sure, pardon my words: it's a fucking tough race and not just because I have a few bruises. Riders will try to anticipate, which will give us an early start," he says.

The Dane is aware that if van der Poel attacks first in a moment where none of the favourites are ahead, it will be difficult for the rest of the competition, but after his triumph at Gent - Wevelgem there is not too much pressure on his shoulders.

Additionally, he believes that by the time Paris-Roubaix comes around he will be back to his best. "Of course I still have to perform in the Tour, of course everyone in the team expects me to fight for the win. But we also know that I can be 100% ready for Paris-Roubaix next week. We are just going to try to ride the Tour of Flanders on the wave we created from the E3 Saxo Classic," he concluded.