"I didn't know if Remco was playing a game" - Mattias Skjelmose admits surprise after taking brilliant stage win at the Tour de Suisse

In a thrilling final climb up to the line on stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse, the 22-year-old Mattias Skjelmose announced himself as an elite level climber, burning off the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso and Rigoberto Uran.

"I wasn't quite sure. I was more worried about Felix Gall, because his attack was very strong. Besides, I didn't know if Remco was playing a game," said the Trek - Segafredo rider and new overall leader of the Tour de Suisse said in a post-stage interview. "But he was apparently on the limit," Skjelmose concludes.

Whether or not Evenepoel would have been at his best, Skjelmose remained confident of taking the victory. "I had a lot of confidence, especially with the team that works so hard for me. I just gave everything," he continued. "I had a big question mark about my abilities as a climber. This may not be the toughest mountain stage, but the final climb was long and I did very well."

“There is now a slightly smaller question mark behind it. It is my first WorldTour victory, which is very nice. There are a lot of strong teams here, but we will do our very best. Hopefully we can defend the jersey until the last day, and then it's up to me in the time trial," concludes the Dane.