"I hope I can be closer to Jonas and Tadej" - Mattias Skjelmose looking to prove his progress after enforced Tour de France selection
Cycling
The Tour de France wasn't initially very high on Mattias Skjelmose's list of targets for the 2025 season. After Lidl-Trek overruled the Dane and named him as part of their provisional lineup for the Grand Tour, Skjelmose is now tasked with leading the team's GC charge against the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar.
"It's been a bit of a strange conversation because I really wanted to ride the Giro, but the team insisted that I ride the Tour," Skjelmose explained previously in conversation with TV2.dk. As mentioned though, it is the Tour de France for the 24-year-old after all in 2025 and despite his initial reservations, Skjelmose is aware that the French Grand Tour gives him a great opportunity to prove how much progress he has made.
"I'm in a really good place in my preparation right now. I've mostly gotten over my back injury from last season. At least I don't have any problems with it. I'm happy and calm and looking forward to getting started," says Skjelmose to TV 2 Sport, determined to make 2025 his best year yet. "I've learned that I have to believe in myself more and not push things too much. There's a process where you have to remember to keep your head in it. I can only train to a certain extent, so I have to be serious about everything I can."
Patience is still required though. "I think so. As long as I keep taking the steps I'm taking – of course there's a long way to go to Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard – but I keep developing, and I can get a little closer every year, that's how it is. So at some point I'll probably stagnate, and then we'll have to see how close I am to them at that point," Skjelmose assesses. "I can really feel in training that I respond really well to it and can handle more load than I could last year without feeling completely destroyed. I think I've taken a really big step in terms of performance. I hope I can be closer to Jonas and Tadej. I still think they are the ones to beat. As long as they keep taking steps in the better direction, the rest of us have to follow suit. I think I have done that too, and then we have to see who has taken the biggest step."
"I often forget that I'm only 24 years old. Hopefully I still have many years left in my career. If I keep taking steps like I've been doing the last few years, I'll be getting closer," adds the Lidl-Trek leader. "I have proven in the Vuelta that I can actually ride Grand Tours, when you look at the boats that were ridden, where there were no easy days. So it may be that Jonas and Tadej were not there, but I am still proud of my fifth place. I think that I rode really well, especially in the last two weeks."
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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