"I thought I was going to cramp, or see them go into the horizon" - Mattias Skjelmose stuns Tadej Pogacar & Remco Evenepoel at Amstel Gold Race 2025

In a potentially career-defining performance, Mattias Skjelmose has taken the stunning victory at Amstel Gold Race 2025, outsprinting Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel after an enthralling day of racing, backing up pre-race confidence with the upmost style.

Not many believed Skjelmose pre-race when he told Feltet.dk: “It’s always special to race against Tadej Pogacar. He’s a tough nut to crack, but hopefully we’ll crack him at some point," but it's the Lidl-Trek leading Dane who has had the last laugh, emerging victorious over both the world champion Pogacar and the Olympic champion Evenepoel in what was a thrilling opener to the Ardennes Classics of this season.

Pogacar had threatened to ride away to one of his typical solo masterpieces, but some powerful chasing by Skjelmose and Evenepoel did the impossible and reeled back the Slovenian, setting up a grandstand finale. Through the Flamme Rouge the trio were still all locked together at the front, and as they started playing cat and mouse, the chase was closing. In the sprint it was the incredible Mattias Skjelmose who prevailed ahead of the world champion and the Olympic champion!

“I was riding for the podium,” admitted a stunned Skjelmose in his post-race interview afterwards, seemingly as surprised as anyone at what he had just done. “Already the podium would be a really good result for me. I tried to keep the group going so they didn’t come back from behind. Of course, you sprint for the best result, but I thought I was going to cramp, or see them go into the horizon.”

As he began to get a little emotional, Skjelmose then dedicated his win to his late grandfather who passed away recently. "It means so much," explained the Dane with pride. "I really wanted to give him a win, so this is for him."