"We're really on the right track for the future" - Mathias Vacek emerging as one of the breakout stars of the 2025 Giro d'Italia

Mads Pedersen has undoubtedly been the rider of the race so far at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, winning two stages (so far) and holding the Maglia Rosa. Key to the success of the Dane however, has been the emerging 22-year-old Czech, Mathias Vacek.

"I'm really learning from him now, so the plan is to be as good as him in the Classics and still come to the Grand Tours and win stages like him," Vacek says in conversation with Cycling News, full of praise for his team leader Pedersen after sharing in such a successful start to the Italian Grand Tour. "I would see myself a little bit like him, but there's still a long way to go. For now, everything is on the right track, and I'm happy with how it is."

With Vacek operating as a key figure in the leadout of Pedersen, the Czech knows his role and knows exactly what he has to do in the finals to best support his team leader. "Pedersen is a real leader, and the biggest things I've learned from him are how to handle situations, how to handle a team, how to be as calm as possible, and focus full gas on the performance and races," he explains. 

After having emerged on the wider cycling scene in 2022 when he won a stage of the UAE Tour whilst riding for Gazprom - RusVelo, Vacek has gone from strength to strength since joining Lidl-Trek. "After the UAE win, it was quite a big development for me, because when I entered the pro peloton, the World Tour, it was a big change for me, and I was struggling with how to get into it and manage myself or prepare for races," recalls Vacek. "But now with Lidl-Trek I'm really supported and have what I want. I think we're really on the right track for the future, which is something I'm looking forward to."

"I'm really happy with the performance I have now, and everything is going really, really well so far. I'm feeling good, so probably I will also have a chance in the next few days to go for a stage," he continues, understandably happy with his Giro so far. "We will see how it goes, what the plan will be, but for sure, also with this team, we can go with a reduced bunch, put guys under pressure and win from a small group."

And whilst so far, it's mostly been in work for Pedersen, Vacek is confident he'll get his own chances to shine by the end of the race. "I will give it all in the TTs, which I'm aiming for, so that's where I want to take at least a second place like in the Vuelta last year," he concludes. "It will be hard to win, but I will try. A stage win, of course, would be phenomenal."