"I'm impressed that I have made such a long stint": Toms Skujins to miss spring classics for the first time in 10+ years
Cycling
Lidl-Trek have entered the 2026 season with ambition to confirm their position as a top-3 team in the UCI world ranking. But a string of heavy crashes, injuries and illness that have haunted its leaders derailed the German-licensed machine that now sits all the way back in 15th place - surrounded by ProTeams Cofidis and Tudor Pro Cycling - far off where the team belongs.
While Toms Skujins may not have the reputation of Juan Ayuso or Mads Pedersen, the Latvian is still a key link in Lidl's Classics team and an important contributor to team's points counter with quadruple-digit records in each of the past three seasons.
But in 2026, he won't be able to help his leader Pedersen in any of the spring one-day races as an illness from Paris-Nice completely halted the 34-year-old's preparation, making a participation in Flemish Classics impossible, Skujins informs on his Instagram:
"For the first time in 10+ years I won't be doing any spring classics. Definitely gutted, but also quite impressed that I have made such a long stint in our sport where crashes and sickness are always part of the game. Got proper sick at Paris-Nice and haven't ridden much since coming back home early. Will definitely try to make the most of it, recover and get the body ready for the rest of the year. Still many goals out there this season."
Whilst Skujins will be forced to watch from the sidelines as Pedersen & co. take on Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, the German team still has many cards to play with sprinter Jonathan Milan, all-rounders Soren Kragh Andersen and Mathias Vacek, young engine Jakob Soderqvist, or young talent Albert Withen Philipsen.
And the top-5 finisher of both European and World Championships from 2025 is quite thrilled to follow along as his teammates bode with pressure without the experienced road captain:
"On the bright side I will get to watch more bike racing on TV than previous years and cheer on the Lidl-Trek squad," he concludes.
Toms Skujins will be missed by Lidl-Trek at the spring classics
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment