"One more setback and it might be impossible" - Even the cobbled monuments are at risk for injured Mads Pedersen

Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar are likely set to have another uncontested cobbled classics campaign, as both of their rivals find themselves injured at the time being. Whilst Wout van Aert's concerns are over his form, Mads Pedersen fears that he may not even take part in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix at all.

After Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard have suffered several injuries and illnesses that have affected their careers; the classics specialists that could rival the 'big two' have also been spending a lot of time of the bike. Pedersen was to begin his season at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana, a change of environment, but right on the opening day he crashed out.

In the Lang Distance podcast, he explained what happened in his crash, which was not caught on TV broadcast neither updated until after the stage: “In a narrow descent we came into a left-hand corner, where two riders on the left side of the road were riding next to each other, meaning there was no space left for the riders on the right".

The Dane crashed at speed and suffered a fractured collarbone and wrist. Whilst it is possible to get on the indoor bike, the injuries are significant and prevent him from training on the road as is required ahead of such races.

He fell in the first days of February, almost two weeks ago. Roubaix, the last of the cobbled classics, is in less than two months, a time period where he should be race fit again, however there's no saying what form he will be in. For now Paris-Nice and Milano-Sanremo have also been removed from the calendar.

However the goals further ahead are by no means secured. “It already looks very difficult now. One more setback and it might be impossible," he admits. But I have to try—for myself and for the guys around me. I have to try to make it work.”