"I stopped dancing in my off season" - Toms Skujins explains his sudden rise to the top at Classics

It's not so common these days to see a 32-year-old level up their game, yet Toms Skujins is a living example of that it is indeed still possible. After few years when the Latvian didn't get much spotlight, he has reawakened at last year's Giro d'Italia, carrying the momentum through San Sebastian (6th), World Championships (8th) and European Championships (13th) all to way to 2024. Finishing runner-up at Strade Bianche, Skujins can already speak of successful spring, yet there can always be achieved more, he admits to WielerFlits.

With Lidl-Trek's classics lineup decimated by the Dwars door Vlaanderen crash, Skujins could easily be the American team's best shot at Tour of Flanders - a race that inevitably appeals to Skujins. "If there is any place in the world where cycling is the biggest sport and the passion of the most people, it is in Flanders. Even on Thursday during our training round, there were a lot of spectators supporting us. There is a reason why people here call this Holy Week. There is not a Belgian in Flanders who is not a cycling fan."

"My shape is now better than ever. Unfortunately we miss Jasper Stuyven and Alex Kirsch, but the confidence in Mads Pedersen and myself is good. Long races suit me better. Selections are made by the legs you have, not by positioning. We have to aim as high as possible."

Skujins was rarely firing off all cylinders in the spring, however this year everything seems to have clicked. The reason is as bizzare as you'd expect from the eccentric Latvian. "I stopped dancing in my off season," he explains. "Folk dancing is very big in Latvia. We love dancing and singing. But I sacrificed that to have more energy for training. That's the whole truth. Once every five years is the Latvian Song and Dance Festival. Think of it as the Olympic Games for Latvians. In a packed stadium, thousands of people dance, displaying all kinds of Latvian symbols and ornaments. It's super cool. So I don't do that anymore and now look."