'It's going to be a tough race' - Mads Pedersen ready to suffer at Tour of Flanders

WEVELGEM BELGIUM MARCH 24 LR Mads Pedersen of Denmark and Team Lidl Trek celebrates at finish line as race winner ahead of Mathieu van der Poel of The Netherlands and Team Alpecin Deceuninck during the 86th GentWevelgem in Flanders Fields 2024 Mens Elite a 2531km one day race from Ieper to Wevelgem UCIWT on March 24 2024 in Wevelgem Belgium Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
Mads Pedersen beats Mathieu van der Poel to win Gent-Wevelgem (Image credit: Getty Images)

Mads Pedersen speaks as he likes to race: with blunt power. There's little room for subtlety and small talk, especially when he is battered and bruised after the Dwars door Vlaanderen crash and the Tour of Flanders is approaching.  

The Dane is the Lidl-Trek designated leader for Sunday's race and so will try to take on Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and everyone who lines up in Antwerp. 

Stephen Farrand
Head of News

Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.