"He could prepare himself a bit in the shadow" - Can Mattias Skjelmose be the ultimate Tour de France wildcard?

The Tour de France is the biggest event in the cycling world and all riders who go in with high ambitions have alongside him a high degree of attention. However some have more than others, and Mattias Skjelmose is definitely on the lower side of the list - but this can definitely come as a benefit to the leader of Lidl-Trek.

Skjelmose, fifth at last year's Vuelta a España, has proved he can race a Grand Tour at the highest level and battle for a high spot in the overall classification. A strong time-trialist, very explosive climber and also a consistent rider with a strong backup team, there are few reasons to believe the Dane won't be able to finish within the Top10 if he avoids mishaps.

However his lead-up to the Tour has not been ideal as a stomach bug prevented him from racing both the Criterium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse. But ultimately, he returned to racing this Sunday at the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica and took the victory, meaning he is on the right path towards the Tour and that his form may actually be exactly where he needed.

"It was not fun for him, but I think the damage will ultimately be limited. Maybe it is an opportunity, that he could prepare himself a bit in the shadow," teammate Otto Vergaerde shared with In de Leiderstrui. "Because he didn't have to race at full speed in the Tour de Suisse for a classification, for example, he might still have something left in week three".

The team will have Jonathan Milan to aim for the sprints and green jersey, whilst Thibau Nys can certainly play a role in the many hilly days of the first week. Hence, Skjelmose may find himself completely off the radar and the pressure of performing as many of his rivals will.

Combining that with the unusual lead-up towards the Grand Boucle, it could work wonders. "Mattias is someone who is very professional and knows what he has to do for his job. He has also had his fair share of bad luck this year, but it has still been a very good year," Vergaerde said of the Amstel Gold Race winner.