"I could go a bit more all-out than Remco in the end" - Mattias Skjelmose pips Evenepoel in sprint for 3rd on stage 4 at Paris-Nice, taking bonus seconds
Cycling
Despite looking bright so far at Paris-Nice 2024, Mattias Skjelmose hasn't quite got rewards for good legs, with a poor team time-trial leaving the Lidl-Trek leader off the pace. On stage 4 however, Skjelmose continued to impress.
“I was feeling quite good all week and this performance proves it," 23-year-old Dane reflects in a post-stage interview with his team's official website having taken third on the day behind stage winner Santiago Buitrago and new GC leader, Luke Plapp. "We knew it was a good finish for me. Unfortunately we couldn’t compete for the win but I think this feels close enough to a win."
Although Buitrago and Plapp were ahead going into the final climb, Skjelmose led home the group containing the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic, pipping the Belgian in a sprint for 3rd and the final bonus seconds on offer. "I thought Remco and Primoz would go earlier, perhaps on the second to last climb but they didn’t, which was a bit unexpected. That was fine for me, it went ok the way it turned out," he recaps.
"At the finish, I just went all out, and then more all out, and I could go a bit more all-out than Remco in the end, enough to beat him by a couple of centimeters," he concludes. "It was a bit of a surprise but I felt really good. I still hope we have a race on Saturday that is at least similar to the original plan, so hopefully there is a chance to make more changes to the GC. If not, then we’ll for sure have the chance on Sunday.”
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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Skjelmose surprisingly beat Evenepoel in the sprint for 3rd place and got 4 bonus seconds. Bernal (!), Gall, Roglic and Jorgenson finished 2 seconds behind. Not a good sign for Rogla on such a climb, imo. #ParisNice
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