"I am forced to end the season now" - Herniated discs end Mattias Skjelmose's season

Lidl-Trek has reported on the end of the season for Mattias Skjelmose. Atfer a brilliant Vuelta a España, the Dane looked to have a strong end to the season but successive injuries have forced him to end the year prematurely.

“Unfortunately, my season ends here. I had been looking forward to the last part of the season with several big races, but a sudden and severe pain in my back the morning before the Worlds has put an end to my season," Skjelmose said in a message shared on social media. The Dane crashed out of the Tour de Luxembourg, but was still happy with his training into the Worlds.

However in the morning of the road race itself, a huge goal for Skjelmose, he was reported by the team to have made a bad move and began suffering from back pain at breakfast. He later abandoned the race without being in contention for a result, and underwent exams to understand the extent of the injuries.

"After thorough examinations of my back and an MRI scan, I have been diagnosed with two herniated discs," he reveals. "For this reason, I am forced to end the season now. It is no secret that I am sad that my season has to end like this, but injuries are unfortunately a part of cycling. Now I will give my body some rest so that I can come back even stronger for next season.” Next year however, he will with no doubt start with high ambitions following a promising 2024 season.