Mads Pedersen OUT of Vuelta a Espana - Illness sees Lidl-Trek rider leave race after stage 10
Cycling
Mads Pedersen is out of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana as Lidl-Trek confirmed that the sprinter would not start stage 11 of the race on Wednesday. The Danish rider has been out of form at the Grand Tour and the team have confirmed that the rider has been suffering with illness in recent days.
With a 4th place on stage 2 and 2nd on stage 8, the Dane leaves La Vuelta with disappointment as he looks to recover from illness. With just over three weeks until the World Championships in Montreal, he now faces a race against time to challenge for the rainbow jersey.
Pedersen isn't the first high-profile rider to leave the race before the halfway mark after Tadej Pogacar crashed out of the race on Saturday. The Slovenian crashed in the bunch, breaking his collarbone, vertebrae and sustaining a concussion.
Pedersen focuses on recovery and later goals
For Pedersen, rider and team opted to focus on recovery rather than attempting to ride on through illness, pointing at other end-of-season goals as motivation for Pedersen to leave the race.
A team statement said: "After battling illness over the past few days, Mads will now focus on making a full recovery before turning his attention to his remaining targets this season."
After stage 10, Pedersen offered an honest assessment of his form and condition at the race following his 163rd place finish in a stage he would usually be expected to compete for the win.
Unfortunately, Mads Pedersen will not take the start of today’s stage 11 of La Vuelta.
— Lidl-Trek (@LidlTrek) September 2, 2026
After battling illness over the past few days, Mads will now focus on making a full recovery before turning his attention to his remaining targets this season.
Get well soon, Mads 💙… pic.twitter.com/IZzGvDKUNT
Pedersen's honest reaction to Vuelta form
“My legs were just about good enough to get dropped,” Pedersen told TV2 afterwards.
“It was more one of those days where there simply wasn’t enough there to race the finale, so staying in and completely emptying myself when I knew I wasn’t going to be involved in the finish doesn’t make much sense right now.”
“There is clearly still something that isn’t quite working properly,” he said. “Otherwise, even on a bad day, I would still be there in a finale like this. So yes, there is something that isn’t working at the moment, but we believe it will get better.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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