“It hurts a bit more than I’d like... I’ve swelled up like a sponge” - Mattias Skjelmose's Liege-Bastogne-Liege hopes in doubt after Fleche Wallonne crash

Just a few days ago, Mattias Skjelmose was on top of the world after stunning world champion Tadej Pogacar and Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel in a thrilling finale to the Amstel Gold Race. After being brought back down to earth with a bump at La Fleche Wallonne on Wednesday however, the Dane's hopes of a first ever Monument win at Liege-Bastogne-Liege this Sunday, are in doubt.

“It hurts a bit more than I’d like it to. But the second day is usually the worst. So now we’ll see - it should only get better by Sunday,” Skjelmose admits honestly in conversation with TV2 Sport, insisting that he still plans to ride the Monument, despite lingering pains thanks to some bruises and road rash left over from the crash. 

“There’s no doubt I can ride. It just hurts a little, and I’ve swelled up like a sponge,” continues the 24-year-old Danish talent, revealing a remedy given to him in the hopes of a quick recovery. “I had to check in with Mikael Kyneb (a Danish therapist for Lidl-Trek) to find out what kind of tea he gave Mads Pedersen when he crashed at Dwars Door Vlaanderen last year. So I’ve been loading up on turmeric, ginger, and lemon. I think it’s helping. It feels like the pain is coming from inflammation that’s pressing on everything. So we’re trying different techniques to flush it out as much as possible.”

As mentioned, despite the pain Skjelmose is battling, he still intends to be present on the startline on Sunday and is determined to still make his mark on the race in some form. “It’s obviously not ideal, but it doesn’t change how I’ll approach Liège. So that’s a positive,” he concludes. “The feeling isn’t great, and I’ve also been riding with way too many clothes on to try and sweat as much as possible. It’s not exactly fun. But I’ve got one more big effort to give this spring, and then I can rest. So I’m willing to suffer for that.”