"I simply wasn't good enough in the final, that's it" - Mattias Skjelmose loses lead of Itzulia Basque Country in dramatic final stage

Having moved into the overall lead of Itzulia Basque Country 2024 after the mass crash on stage 4 that saw the likes of Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel forced to abandon the race, Mattias Skjelmose couldn't quite hold on in a dramatic final stage.

"The team worked very hard today. There was nothing we could have done better. I simply wasn't good enough in the final, that's it," Skjelmose reflects honestly in his post-stage interview having seen Juan Ayuso secure overall victory and stage winner, Carlos Rodriguez leap to second overall, dropping the Lidl-Trek leader down to third.

Despite the success of Rodriguez being detrimental to his own hopes, Skjelmose was full of praise for the Spaniard. "Carlos Rodriguez has achieved an enormous achievement," he analyses warmly. "Thanks to him I returned, while he didn't have to. That was very grand of him. I am therefore happy that he won."

"Unfortunately I didn't have the legs during the second attack, but I fought until the end. That was the most important," he concludes. "It's a good performance. Even though it is not what we hoped for, it is still a podium in a WorldTour race."