A stage win, a inexperienced jersey, a top-10 summit end inserting and a protracted break on the final, very hilly day of racing: little question about it, Mads Pedersen’s massively spectacular finale to the 2025 version of Paris-Nice has pushed the Danish star in direction of the highest of the contenders’ hierarchy for Milan-San Remo subsequent Saturday.
After an uneven begin to the race, the Lidl-Trek rider’s dramatic lowered dash victory on Friday after echelons and unhealthy climate ripped stage 6 aside would have been greater than sufficient to spice up Pedersen’s standing as a favorite for the Via Roma.
But the Classics specialist and former world champion then confirmed a couple of GC favorite a clear pair of heels on the 2 mountainous days that adopted. He first took tenth on the Mont Auron on Saturday then went on an 83-kilometre transfer 24 hours later by means of the Alpine foothills outdoors Nice to seal his maintain on the factors competitors total.
At the identical time, Lidl-Trek produce other high-profile choices past Pedersen for San Remo. Just a few hours previous to the Dane stepping onto the rostrum to say inexperienced on the Promenade des Anglais, at Tirreno-Adriatico his teammate Jonathan Milan clinched a second stage victory in six days.
A nasty crash for 2021 Milan-San Remo winner Jasper Stuyven within the ultimate kilometre of Tirreno-Adriatico didn’t cease the Belgian from ending and can probably give Lidl one more card to play subsequent weekend. But equally, Milan’s doubling of his 2025 Tirreno win tally on Sunday following an preliminary victory on stage 2 confirms that the Italian’s personal unhealthy crash on stage 3 is quickly being forgotten.
“It was vital to complete Tirreno-Adriatico,” Milan mentioned in his closing press convention in feedback reported by Bici.pro. “It was just like the circle was accomplished.”
“This final stage was a objective, I’d have favored to get some extra outcomes throughout the week, however I wasn’t feeling nice [after crashing on stage 3 – Ed.] and the vital factor was to get better.
“Right after the autumn I actually thought of stopping. I used to be actually sore and had issues, particularly with my elbow and ankle. Another blow to my aspect solely emerged later, after I realised that I could not push arduous with my left leg.”
Milan mentioned that the very fact he was in a position to pedal, although, confirmed that nothing was damaged and he may proceed on to strive first to complete the stage after which for extra wins. That course of was marked by the preliminary milestone of his second 2025 Tirreno stage victory on Sunday at San Benedetto del Tronto, and can now be adopted by his fourth participation in Milan-San Remo.
Asked by Gazzetta dello Sport if he typically felt when Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was current – as he shall be on Saturday – as if he might be racing for a runner’s-up spot Milan mentioned “I do not assume anyone thinks that in a race like San Remo and personally I by no means begin a race using for second.”
“Obviously we’ll have to observe Tadej, however there are many riders can do one thing there, like [Filippo] Ganna, who’s simply achieved an ideal Tirreno.”
As for whether or not it was too quickly to think about he might be there in San Remo, Milan mentioned, “I do not learn about that, if I’m good, I’m good. What’s sure is that we’ll have a really robust staff in San Remo and a really united one, so we’ll see what I can do. I’m in fine condition, actually I’d say I’m going higher than I believed.”
Lidl-Trek’s different two choices
Milan could be the highest favorite for Lidl-Trek ought to San Remo come all the way down to a bunch dash. But one other key participant for Lidl-Trek might be Stuyven, regardless of his crash on Sunday.
Immediately after falling and crossing the road, the 2021 San Remo winner informed media at Tirreno that the autumn “was a bit silly. A few guys weren’t paying consideration and rode into the again of me. That’s very unlucky.”
“My accidents usually are not too unhealthy, however it was a tough blow to my pelvis and head. Hopefully it is not a concussion.”
As for Pedersen, the 29-year-old was logically very upbeat in his post-Paris-Nice press convention, saying that “Going into Milan-San Remo and the opposite Classics, it is wanting excellent, now we simply have to remain wholesome and hold it going.”
“He can win the Primavera,” Lidl-Trek staff supervisor Steven de Jongh informed Het Laatste Nieuws. “He actually has the qualities for it.”
“However, whether or not it truly occurs is dependent upon numerous components. The climate, the course of the race, which staff member survives by means of to the ultimate with him, the opposition he faces on the end: these are all completely different parts, particularly in an unpredictable race like Milan-San Remo.”
De Jongh argued that whereas there are different sprinters who’re quicker than Pedersen, a San Remo run in unhealthy climate might be precisely what the Dane – who thrives in poor situations just like the Worlds in 2019 or Paris-Nice final Friday – wants to show the race in his favour.
“After a chilly and really moist day, he’s usually among the many strongest and quickest ‘survivors’,” De Jongh identified earlier than warning, “It’s very troublesome to provide you with the proper technique upfront. If you make a plan A, you often find yourself with plan B or plan C.”
