Lidl-Trek sees a lot of riders drop out, but Pedersen still on track: "My teammates couldn't do anything, it was my mistake"

Lidl-Trek can count on a good Pedersen, but otherwise, the German-American team struggles with injuries and illnesses. Mathias Vacek, the revelation of the Opening Weekend, hit his knee hard in Strade Bianche and spent a week in bed with a fever. In the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem, he was mainly used to take care of the positioning of his leaders, resulting in a DNF. "If he ever gets back to his best, it will be for Paris-Roubaix. Mathias has lost a lot of form."

Daan Hoole, also scheduled for the Tour of Flanders, fell ill after Paris-Nice and lost some momentum. Alex Kirsch, crucial last weekend, fell ill just before Dwars door Vlaanderen and could not start. Edward Theuns crashed in Classic Brugge-De Panne, which was unfortunate for Jasper Stuyven in Dwars door Vlaanderen. The Belgian's injured arm did not look too good as he crossed the finish line in Waregem, but he later posted on social media that everything was relatively okay. Jonathan Milan, who will not participate in the Tour of Flanders, pulled a muscle on the morning of Dwars door Vlaanderen and could not participate.

Fortunately, there is always Pedersen to save the day for Lidl-Trek. Afterward, the Dane logically did not wish to comment directly on the medical reports of his teammates ('those are questions for the doctors') but did indicate that he felt fine after three races in six days. "I felt fine but was too far behind when the Visma | Lease a Bike guys went. That was the decisive moment in the race, so my compliments to them. A great moment, but not if you are too far behind."

"I didn't miss my teammates, but I was too far behind. I was stuck on the right side of the road, and there they were, gone. Sooner than I expected. That was my mistake," Pedersen admitted. "From that moment on, it was damage control. We could not get them back and knew the race would be decided there. It was our mistake that we weren't there at the right moment."

"Visma | Lease a Bike played it well. Shit happens. In the end, I still came in fifth, so I can't complain too much. I'm just glad I made it to the finish line at all," said the leader of Lidl-Trek, who was also involved in the heavy crash on the descent of the Kanarieberg last year. "Now I'm fully focused on Sunday: the Tour of Flanders."