"I don't think it was anyone's fault" - Mattias Skjelmose into overall lead at Itzulia Basque Country as Roglic, Evenepoel, Vingegaard and more crash out

After a crash-marred day at the Itzulia Basque Country 2024 this Thursday, Mattias Skjelmose now finds himself in the overall race lead.

"We were riding downhill after the first steep climb and the road was very bumpy as we were fighting for positions," the Lidl-Trek leader recalls of the crash that saw the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard leave the race in the back of an ambulance and Primoz Roglic abandon in the back of his team car. "Unfortunately, we went a bit too fast and that caused some riders to fall, after which more followed..."

"It was very unfortunate and I don't think it was anyone's fault," Skjelmose continues. "To be honest, there is indeed a lot of falling in this race. I'm a bit surprised about that, because I come here from the always nervous Paris-Nice."

As mentioned, Skjelmose must now continue this race with something to defend as he holds a 4 second lead over Juan Ayuso. "This year the course in the Basque Country is a bit easier, but the level is so high. So many boys can participate at the front," he concludes. "If we go up with crazy numbers, there are still sixty guys in the peloton on top of a climb. That always makes it a bit nervous, there's nothing more to say about it. That's just how cycling is."