Lidl-Trek has confirmed that their versatile sprinter, Mads Pedersen, will continue competing in the 2024 Tour de France despite a heavy fall on stage 5. Pedersen crashed into barriers late in the stage won by Mark Cavendish, who celebrated a record-breaking 35th victory. The fall caused significant impact to Pedersenโs left shoulder and back, yet initial x-rays revealed no fractures.
Following the crash, Pedersen was fortunate to avoid further injury, thanks to Cofidis leadout man Axel Zingle, who neatly bunny-hopped over the Dane as he lay on the ground near the Saint Vulbas finish.
โWe can confirm that Mads Pedersen will start stage 6 today,โ read a message from Lidl-Trekโs press team at 10:26 CEST, three hours before the scheduled start in Mรขcon. Pedersen also shared on social media this morning that, โIcebaths are my best friend these days,โ as he continued his recovery to make the start possible.
A former World Champion, Pedersen has achieved a seventh and a fourth place so far in the 2024 Tour de France on the stages into Rimini and Turin. He is currently running second in the green jersey competition behind Biniam Girmay and won the intermediate sprint early on the mountainous stage 4.
With two stage wins to his name in 2023 and 2022, Pedersen is regarded as a major contender in the Tourโs sprints. Normally, he would be a clear candidate for victory in todayโs flat stage into Dijon, but it remains to be seen how quickly he recovers from his recent fall with the green jersey on the line.
Main photo credit: Getty