"From the start of the final climb I was empty. It was five long last kilometers" - Mattias Skjelmose loses a lot of time in general classification
Cycling
Mattias Skjelmose suffered his way through the stage 6. The Dane fell early in the stage 5 and while he finished the stage in the group of Tadej Pogacar, the damage stacked up overnight and didn't allow the Lidl-Trek rider give it his best shot in the second day in Pyreneés.
"I'd like to blame it on the crash, but we'll never know if that was the case. I rode with back pain and was alone on the Tourmalet. On the descent I managed to get back to the peloton, but I had to go full throttle for that, while the rest could all rest and recharge. From the start of the final climb I was empty. It was five long last kilometers, I really suffered."
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Skjelmose already knew in the neutral phase towards the official start that it was going to be a tough day. Fellow countryman Vingegaard came by and warned him: "He said I had better prepare myself for a tough day and he kept that promise. It will be a long way to Paris if Jumbo-Visma keeps up this pace."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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