“I’m getting better day by day” - Mattias Skjelmose refuses to lose faith in Vuelta podium bid after costly gravel setback
CyclingThursday, 27 August 2026 at 20:00
Mattias Skjelmose left Stage 6 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana encouraged by his recovery despite conceding another 1:38 to Tadej Pogacar and Enric Mas. The Dane finished alongside several of his closest general classification rivals after the gravel ascent of Puerto El Bartolo.
Skjelmose now sits ninth overall at 5:58. With fifth-placed Felix Gall only 1:03 ahead and Primoz Roglic occupying third at 4:21, the contest for the podium and top five remains tightly packed behind Pogacar.
His optimism marks a change from the uncertainty that followed Stage 4 in Andorra. Skjelmose questioned then whether he was still feeling the effects of completing the Tour de France and Vuelta double for the first time, having struggled to reproduce his best numbers.
Stage 6 brought another time loss, but Skjelmose felt his recovery through the opening week was continuing to improve.
Pogacar attack unfolds as expected
“I’m quite satisfied with how things are progressing,” Skjelmose told TV 2 after the stage. “It took a while for the breakaway to go and then UAE took control almost immediately. That was more or less what we expected.”
UAE Team Emirates – XRG kept a powerful 16-rider move within reach throughout the second half of the stage before reducing the gap ahead of Puerto El Bartolo.
Pogacar attacked with four kilometres remaining to the summit. Oscar Onley initially followed before dropping back, while Mas rode away from the next group and eventually caught the red jersey near the top.
“Then Pogacar attacked when we reached the steep section on the gravel, which was also more or less what we expected,” Skjelmose continued. “From there, it was simply a case of riding as hard as you could.”
Skjelmose rode within his limits and reached the finish alongside riders positioned close to him in the general classification, even as Pogacar and Mas extended their advantage at the front.
Skjelmose sits 9th on GC at 5:58
Skjelmose encouraged by improving recovery
Only 1:37 separates Skjelmose from Roglic in third, while the gap to Gall in fifth stands at 1:03. Those margins keep both objectives within reach during the remaining two weeks.
“I feel as though I’m getting better day by day and I actually think I’m recovering really well,” Skjelmose explained. “So, yes, I’m positive after today. Of course, it would have been nice to lose less time, but I’m still confident.”
Stage 7 finishes at Aramon Valdelinares, where Skjelmose and the other podium contenders will face a second consecutive summit test.
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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- If you want to be in the break away in this Vuelta, you better be fifteen minutes down on GC.awp27-08-2026
- Who would have ever thought that the guy providing all of the excitement in this stage would be Enric Mas? Congratulations to him on a fantastic ride!
santiagobenites27-08-2026 - Bravo Enriquet!
Rafionain-Glas27-08-2026 - Pogačar and Mas going 1 - 2 like it's Il Lombardia 2022. What an amazing climb by Mas. Seriously. Is he suddenly positioned to be second to a Slovenian, once again?RidesHills27-08-2026
- Sure no problem you can shut up if you wantabstractengineer27-08-2026
- Not many million... just a little over two million of Slovenians...PogiSloFans27-08-2026
- I have huge bollocks... 🩸 😂😂PogiSloFans27-08-2026
- YesPogiSloFans27-08-2026
- It was very admirable that Josh even started the Vuelta in the first place. I can't begin to imagine what he's had to deal with for the past couple of weeks.santiagobenites27-08-2026
- Noabstractengineer27-08-2026
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