"Everybody knows that if you attack early you have the motorbike" - Mattias Skjelmose benefits from late catch to win in Luxembourg
Cycling
Mattias Skjelmose has had a rocky season, but into the World and European Championships, the Dane has found his best form and at the Tour of Luxembourg, he has managed to take his first victory since June and has taken over the race lead simultaneously.
The third day of the race in Luxembourg was very important for the overall classification, separating the climbers and puncheurs from the rest of the field and to thin down the group of riders capable of winning the overall classification into tomorrow's decisive time-trial. It was a difficult day with plenty attacks from several riders and a very high pace over a steep ascent that saw about a dozen riders only be in contention for the stage win.
Marc Hirschi tried to anticipate the competition, and the Dane knows why: "It was difficult for everybody, everybody knows that if you attack early you have the motorbike and Marc was really good he was really strong, it was difficult to catch him back". However, the Swiss rider was then caught in the final cobbled ascent to the line, with the chase group having a very high pace.
"Luckily Brandon [McNulty] started his sprint early and I could overtake him in the last moment". The Lidl-Trek rider had a very strong punch and managed to hold off Jordan Jegat to take the stage win, and jump into the overall lead of the race as Romain Grégoire was nowhere to be seen.
Skjelmose doubtful he can win GC
The Dane's victory is also very much due to the presence of Toms Skujins in the group, who helped on the chase significantly in the final kilometers. "He did super good in the end, we spoke about it, I said I wasn't feeling super and I asked him if he could win and he said 'no no we go all for you' and yeah, he delivered perfectly and I just had to execute it in the end".
The gap to Jordan Jegat is of 4 seconds but it's the 8 seconds to Brandon McNulty that everyone will have their eye on this Saturday. "It's going to be difficult having the leader's jersey TT suit is a big disadvantage but we're going to do what we can and hopefully we can win the race," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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