Vacek’s words show just how crucial injured Pedersen remains to Lidl-Trek’s Classics core

The now 23-year-old has been regarded as one of cycling’s biggest talents for years. He became European junior champion in 2020, and in 2022 — at just 19 — he won a stage of the UAE Tour. That same season, he finished second at the U23 World Championships in Australia, placed third in the Peace Race, and even took 10th overall at the Tour de l’Avenir, despite his powerful build.

Vacek is now starting his fourth season with Lidl-Trek, after the team extended his deal last summer through 2029. That came as little surprise given his steady progression. In 2024, he played a key role in several victories for Thibau Nys, before producing strong rides himself at the Olympic road race and time trial, collecting multiple top results in the Vuelta a España (twice second), and finishing runner-up at Paris-Tours.

Anyone who remembers last year’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will recall that Vacek looked like one of the strongest riders in the race. A week later, however, he crashed hard at Strade Bianche, with illness compounding the setback. To make matters worse, he also hit the deck at Paris-Roubaix, though he still managed to ride a very strong Giro d’Italia a month later.

For this season, Lidl-Trek had envisioned a role for Vacek similar to the one Jasper Stuyven has often filled in recent years. But Pedersen’s crash immediately changes the calculations. Speaking after the incident, Vacek underlined what the Dane means to the group. “Mads was the leader and the man of the team so it was bad for him [to crash on stage one] and I’m sorry he started the season like this. But he is mentally strong and will be back soon even stronger, so I wish him the best.”

Over the winter, Vacek spent plenty of time with Pedersen — and he knows better than anyone how important the Dane is to Lidl-Trek’s approach to the spring. The two already built something in racing last season. “We’ve already done some races together,” Vacek explained. “In the Giro, we saw how well we can work together and my relationship with him is perfect. That atmosphere — including mentality — is really important. Mads is someone who can motivate everyone to give 100 percent. We also spend a lot of time during training camps preparing for the Classics and what’s coming.”

Lidl-Trek’s wider Classics group includes riders such as Toms Skujiņš, Jakob Söderqvist, Søren Kragh Andersen, Edward Theuns and Albert Withen Philipsen. The plan had been for Vacek to ride the Omloop, then team up with Pedersen from Paris–Nice through to Paris-Roubaix, looking to make a real impact together. “I know that in that way I can also take my own chances,” Vacek said, “because we don’t race conservatively. And Mads is absolutely not conservative.”

Pedersen, for his part, has also made it clear he sees Vacek as more than just a helper — and that their partnership can create opportunities for both. “In the Giro we saw how insane Vacek is,” Pedersen said. “He’s still young and I’ve spoken to him. He’s willing to sacrifice himself for me, but on the other hand I can still teach him a thing or two, and as two strong riders you can improve each other’s chances. If everyone’s looking at me, he can take his chance. And I will never ride against a teammate — that’s for sure.”

“I’m still learning a lot from him,” Vacek said of Pedersen, “but of course I hope that one day I can follow in his footsteps. I know I have those qualities, and that learning curve will pay off one day — just like all the hard work Mads has done in the past has paid off in recent years.”

Sports director Steven de Jongh previously made a similar point about Vacek’s trajectory, particularly after a season disrupted by crashes. “Vacek had a lot of bad luck with crashes last year and I can definitely see him making that step to the top, if he stays healthy and stays on his bike,” De Jongh said. “That really did hinder him and limited his growth. Now that they are in the program with Mads, I see them making a step mentally as well.”

Vacek is one of those rare riders who can do almost everything: time trial, climb, punch on short hills, and sprint. But rather than specialise too narrowly, he believes that range is exactly what makes him dangerous. “If I focused on one thing, I’d eventually come up short,” he said. “My versatility is my strength — the combination of power and climbing ability I have. You can see that in the lead-outs I was able to do for Mads in the Giro. Hopefully we can show that again in July at the Tour, and somewhere I can also take my own chance.”