OFFICIAL | Mads Pedersen signs lifetime-long contract with Lidl-Trek

Wout van Aert broke new grounds in the cycling in recent times by signing a career-long contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike and that trend is now growing. His main rival at the Giro d'Italia, Mads Pedersen, is now another rider who has signed a contract for the remainder of his career with Lidl-Trek.

"Seeing Mads grow into the rider he is today has been one of the greatest privileges of my career," team manager Luca Guarcilena said in a press release. "From day one, it was clear that he was special. He’s not just a phenomenal talent on the bike; he’s also a leader who inspires those around him. You can see it when he races; he gives everything for the team, and his teammates give everything back".

The news and decision come after an extraordinary start to the Giro d'Italia, where the Dane has won two out of four stages and currently wears the pink jersey. “I have zero doubt that Mads will keep pushing himself and his teammates until the day he decides to hang up his wheels. His loyalty and dedication to this team have helped to shape the culture of Lidl-Trek, and we’re incredibly proud to have him with us for the long haul.”

The decision to do so is one that comes with big confirmation of stability for the American team whose budget has grown significantly since Lidl joined in as a title sponsor. With all of it's leaders staying on board, the team seems to have quite the strong environment, which has certainly aided Pedersen in taking the step forward.

“Taking the decision to stay with Lidl-Trek for the remainder of my career was for me quite easy, actually," the 29-year old explains. "Since I joined in 2017, I always felt super welcome and supported by everyone here. Every time my contract was up for renewal, it was easy to make the decision to stay. Also, because I really like everyone who’s working within the team. Every time it was easy decisions.

“I always had full commitment from the team and they always had confidence in what I was doing, and had confidence in me being the best I can be. When you get that belief from a team manager and the performance group and staff and so on, it’s easy to make the decision to remain with this team," Pedersem believes.

"And now we ended up in a situation where I stay here for my whole WorldTour career. That’s obviously something I’m really proud of — making a bit of history with Trek. It’s such an honor to have the team’s backing to do this. This team has become like a second family to me, and every time I show up for a race, a training camp, or any team activity, I feel genuinely at home.” Pedersen has got more than 50 pro wins under his bag and this year he has been showing his best-ever level, with incredible consistency, several high level wins and also podium results at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. The 2019 Yorkshire World Champion's continual evolution sees him as a potential leader for still many years to come. 

“My hope for my next years of my career is for sure to win this Monument I keep fighting for, and I really believe, with the support from this team, it will be possible within the upcoming years before my career ends," he concludes. "So, that’s definitely one of my biggest goals for the next years, and in general I just want to win as much as possible, but at the same time I want to be a good leader and try to help new riders who are on the way up.”