A return to the podium he stood on last year at the Tour of Flanders may not have been on the cards for Mads Pedersen in 2026, though given the Lidl-Trek rider is still on the build after returning from injury it was hard to be disappointed with a strong fifth as Paris-Roubaix looms.
Pedersen was not far off the pace when winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG laid down a crucial move on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont with 55km to go, just dangling off the back of the wheel of Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) as the acceleration continued to bite.
"It doesn't matter if it's close or not, or how close it is. If you don't make it, you don't make it, and I didn't make it," said Pedersen after the race.
"They were just faster than me, but also, I said it so many times last week, that it's exactly in those moments I'm missing something because of the injury and it shows again today that I missed it there."
Still, he held on for fifth behind the race dominating Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) and Van Aert.
Plus, while he may not have been able to topple the four riders who dominated the favourites list on the run into the race, Pedersen showed he was a cut above the rest of the field, finishing more than a minute-and-a-half ahead of the next chasers.
"I'm still beating other guys who were in top shape, who didn't have injuries or anything, so then we can be quite happy with today's result," added Pedersen.
Pedersen's injury break came after a crash in his very first race of the season, the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in early February, where he fractured his left wrist and right collarbone. He defied expectations of a 10-12 week recovery and returned to racing at Milan-San Remo in March as he chased race rhythm for the Classics. It was a powerful comeback, with fourth in San Remo, and he then continued on with two top-ten finishes at E3 Saxo Classic and Dwars door Vlaanderen.
The question now, is whether or not he can find that something he is missing by his 'dream race' of Paris-Roubaix on April 12 where he has come third in the last two editions.
"In the end it's a decent job and now we're looking forward to next week," Pedersen said.
Get unlimited access to our unrivalled 2026 Spring Classics coverage with a Cyclingnews subscription. We'll bring you breaking news, reports, and analysis from some of the biggest races on the calendar, including Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. Find out more.
