Mads Pedersen quits the Vuelta a España after significant doubts: 'Turns out to be an infection, so antibiotics needed'

Mads Pedersen was already in doubt on Tuesday whether he would continue in the Vuelta a España, he stated after stage 10. The Dane was dropped early in the finale, after revealing before the start that he had been feeling unwell for some time. The following day, he decided to indeed leave the race and focus on the World Championships.

Pedersen eventually crossed the line in 163rd place, 12 minutes and 18 seconds behind the surprise stage winner, Bastien Tronchon. This gave his team-mate Thibau Nys the chance to sprint for third place, but under normal circumstances this would, of course, have been Pedersen’s day. ‘I’ve got a bit of a sore throat,’ he said on the rest day. ‘It is what it is. I’ll get back on track.’

That did seem to be the case for a while, after Pedersen finished second in a bunch sprint on stage 8. ‘The most important thing is that I’ll be ready for the World Championships in a month’s time,’ the Dane emphasised. But when he crossed the finish line among the last riders on stage 10, his outlook was a fair bit more subdued.

Only four riders finished behind Pedersen, and that is, of course, not what we’ve come to expect from him, even if he’s deliberately taking a rest day. ‘There’s clearly still something not quite right. Otherwise, even on a bad day, I’d be right up there in a finish like that. We’re still confident that the tide will turn.’

And if that doesn’t happen? Then Pedersen might well call it a day this week or next, he told TV2. ‘It could be that in a few days’ time my legs will be back on top form, so it would be a shame to go home already. But it could also stay this way, in which case it might make more sense to catch the first flight home.’

One day later, the verdict came from Lidl-Trek: Pedersen is out. ‘Unfortunately, Mads Pedersen will not be starting today’s Stage 11 of La Vuelta. After battling illness over the past few days, Mads will now focus on a full recovery before turning his attention to his remaining goals for this season,’ the team said.

Team manager Kim Andersen gave an update on TV2. ‘There’s no point in carrying on. There was something wrong with him, because his training for the Vuelta had gone well. But it started a few days before he came here with a cold. You wouldn’t have thought it was any worse than it was. But the tests we carried out yesterday show that it isn’t a virus, but an infection, so he needs antibiotics.’