Mads Pedersen cautiously assesses his level ahead of 2026 Tour of Flanders: "I’m still missing something…"

Mads Pedersen wrapped up his 2026 Dwars door Vlaanderen with tenth place and reasonably positive sensations on his third race day back in action. On Sunday comes the Tour of Flanders, where the Lidl-Trek leader targets victory against Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, and Wout van Aert.

Pedersen judged the day as a step forward in his build-up towards the spring’s biggest goals. "It was a good day of racing," he told Cycling Pro Net, stressing the team had sought precisely a hard scenario to keep stacking race rhythm. "We wanted a long, tough day, and that’s what we got, so in the end it was a decent day."

On his condition, the Dane admitted he is not yet at his peak, though the feelings are better than expected. "Of course it would have been better to feel like the motorbike without a chain," he joked, hinting at that ideal top-end he has yet to reach. "But today went well."

The finale showed both his competitiveness and his current limits. In the closing kilometres, the team tried to play its cards, but the race came down to a very demanding sprint. "We knew that to catch Wout it would be a long sprint," he explained of the decisive move.

Victory ultimately went to Filippo Ganna, whom Pedersen praised for his execution in the final metres. "He did it perfectly. He waited long enough and got him (Van Aert) on the line," he said.

As for himself, the Dane was clear about what is still missing. "I still lack the legs to do a proper sprint," he admitted. "I know that’s also part of what I’m missing right now."

Even so, the overall balance is positive in the context of his return. "It was a good day of racing and that was the most important thing," he insisted.

With the focus on the Tour of Flanders, Pedersen was cautious when assessing his chances against the peloton’s major favourites. "Pretty good," he replied when asked about his general sensations a few days out.

However, he avoided making optimistic predictions. "I’m not going to say it will be enough, I don’t know," he stated, making clear he still needs to test his real level in competition.

"I’ll give you a much better answer after Sunday," he concluded, leaving the question open over his true potential ahead of one of the season’s great Classics.