"My versatility is my strength": Mathias Vacek ready to step up after Pedersen's catastrophic crash at Valencia

Lidl-Trek’s 2026 campaign has suffered a devastating early setback. On the opening stage of the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana, Mads Pedersen was forced to abandon following a heavy crash, resulting in a fractured wrist and a broken collarbone. With the Dane's spring classics campaign now in jeopardy, the spotlight turns to the team's rising star, Mathias Vacek.

Vacek is no stranger to pressure. Regarded as one of cycling’s biggest talents, the Czech rider already has an impressive résumé: European Junior Champion in 2020, a stage winner at the UAE Tour at just 19, a silver medalist at the U23 World Championships and multiple times winner of the Czech nationals (both road race and time trial).

Speaking to IDLProcycling after the incident, Vacek expressed his regret but remained optimistic about Pedersen's recovery. "Mads was the leader and the man of the team so it was bad for him and I’m sorry he started the season like this," Vacek said. "But he is mentally strong and will be back soon even stronger."

The timing is particularly cruel because Vacek and Pedersen had spent the winter building a strong partnership. The plan was for Vacek to replace Jasper Stuyven (now in Soudal), who was a "shadow" leader capable of winning if the main option was marked out of the race.

"We’ve already done some races together," Vacek explained, referencing their chemistry at the Giro d'Italia. "Mads is someone who can motivate everyone to give 100 percent. We also spend a lot of time during training camps preparing for the Classics."

With Pedersen sidelined, Vacek’s role in upcoming races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and potentially Paris-Nice may change from domestique to leader. "I know that in that way I can also take my own chances. Because we don’t race conservatively. And Mads is absolutely not conservative."

Pedersen himself has previously endorsed Vacek’s potential, describing the young Czech’s physical capabilities as "insane." Pedersen noted that their relationship was mutual: "If everyone’s looking at me, he can take his chance. And I will never ride against a teammate - that’s for sure."

Sports Director Steven de Jongh agrees, noting that if Vacek can avoid the bad luck and crashes that hindered him last year, he is ready for the top step. “Vacek had a lot of bad luck with crashes last year and I can definitely see him making that step to the top, if he stays healthy and stays on his bike. That really did hinder him and limited his growth. Now that they are in the program with Mads, I see them making a step mentally as well.”

Vacek attributes this potential to his refusal to specialize. He is a rider who can do everything: time trial, climb, and sprint from a reduced group, which is a skillset perfect for modern cycling.

"If I focused on one thing, I’d eventually come up short," Vacek concluded. "My versatility is my strength - the combination of power and climbing ability I have. You can see that in the lead-outs I was able to do for Mads in the Giro. Hopefully we can show that again in July at the Tour, and somewhere I can also take my own chance.”