Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) fractured his left wrist and right collarbone in a crash during stage one of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana on Wednesday, forcing him to abandon the race and undergo surgery on Thursday.
The Danish rider, who entered the season with ambitions of winning a Monument and the Tour de France green jersey, was taken to hospital after the incident in the final kilometres of the opening stage to Torreblanca.
"Mads Pedersen suffered a fracture of the left wrist and right collarbone in the crash on day one at Volta Comunitat Valenciana, which will be operated on tomorrow," the team said in an official statement.
"The Team's first priority is to ensure Mads gets the best care possible and the immediate focus will be on a successful recovery to minimise the disruption to his season goals."
The injuries come ahead of Pedersen's spring campaign. The Dane had targeted the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix after a 2025 season that included points classification victories at both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, four Giro stage wins and a solo victory at Gent-Wevelgem.
While collarbone fractures are common in professional cycling and typically treated with plate-and-screw fixation allowing rapid return to indoor training, the added wrist fracture may further complicate the recovery picture.
Pedersen was not expected to race at the Opening Weekend of the Belgian classics in late February, including Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Instead, his Classics campaign was set to begin at Milan-San Remo on March 21, which offers a six-week window for recovery.
"We will announce his return to racing in due course and will share any further updates only if necessary," the announcement added.
Pedersen has also declared the Tour de France points classification a primary target for later in the season.
Cover image credit: Pauline Ballet
