the backdrop of Pedersen\u2019s disrupted start to 2026<\/a>. The Dane\u2019s crash at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana left him with a broken wrist and collarbone, casting uncertainty over his early spring programme. But Vacek\u2019s words are not framed as opportunistic. They are framed as patient.<\/p>\n\u201cI still have a long way to go to reach his level,\u201d he admitted. \u201cOn the other hand, I also know that I really have the qualities to one day take over that role from him. Everything I invest now, I believe, will pay off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Self-awareness is important. Vacek understands his own profile. He is not trying to reinvent himself as a pure climber or a Grand Tour contender. \u201cI know I will never be able to follow the very best climbers. And if I try, I lose strength on the flat and in the hilly races. That is why I will continue doing lead outs with Mads, where our strength lies after tough stages and in smaller groups.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is a pragmatic assessment from a rider still shaping his identity. Rather than chase everything, he is refining the areas that could eventually make him a Monument contender in his own right.<\/p>\n
Learning the craft of winning<\/p>\n
Pedersen himself has publicly praised his younger teammate\u2019s potential, describing him as \u201cinsane\u201d and highlighting the Czech\u2019s willingness to sacrifice personal chances in order to learn. For Vacek, that trade-off is deliberate. \u201cI want to help him win his dream race, Roubaix. I know he can do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
That line speaks volumes. Vacek\u2019s ambition is not framed as an immediate takeover, but as accumulation. Experience in positioning. Experience in pacing cobbled sectors. Experience in reading races that unravel in crosswinds and chaos.<\/p>\n
He also has a broader canvas in mind. Alongside the Classics, he expects opportunities in the Tour de France, in early breakaways and in time trials, with European and World Championships on the horizon. The development is layered rather than singular. \u201cI am not worried about my own chances. That is all fine. First, I focus on the Classics and then on the Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n
A future already mapped out<\/p>\n
Within Lidl-Trek, there is no ambiguity about the direction of travel. Team leadership has already indicated that once Pedersen eventually steps aside from the Classics spearhead role, Vacek will be ready.<\/p>\n
For now, though, the apprenticeship continues.<\/p>\n
At 23, with national titles, Grand Tour experience and a long-term contract securing his place in the team\u2019s core, Vacek is not being rushed. He is being prepared.<\/p>\n
The plan, as he openly acknowledges, is succession. But the method is patience, repetition and learning under one of the sport\u2019s most proven one-day racers.<\/p>\n
And if that process continues as intended, Lidl-Trek\u2019s future Classics leader is already riding in the right direction.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Yet for now, the structure at Lidl-Trek remains clear. Pedersen, the 2019 world champion, is still the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":784921,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,20358,20359,195044,79,16,15],"class_list":["post-784920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-lidl-trek","tag-mads-pedersen","tag-mathias-vacek","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116123326526051406","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=784920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784920\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/784921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=784920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=784920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=784920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}