Mattias Skjelmose avoids serious injury after La Fleche Wallonne crash: “I thought it was much worse when I was lying there”

Just days after claiming a sensational victory at the Amstel Gold Race, Mattias Skjelmose was brought back down to earth at La Flèche Wallonne with a heavy crash in grim conditions.

With around 40 kilometres remaining, a crash at the front of the peloton took down several riders, and Skjelmose appeared to be among the worst affected. The 24-year-old Dane was clearly in pain, visibly struggling as he lay on the roadside. Although he managed to remount his bike, supported by his Lidl-Trek teammates, he was soon forced to abandon the race.

Initial concern centred on injuries to his elbow, forearms and right leg. But after medical checks, there was huge relief for the rider and his fans: Lidl-Trek later confirmed that Skjelmose had avoided serious injury.

“But I thought it was much worse when I was lying there,” Skjelmose told Danish media. “I feared my elbow was broken.”

Fortunately, the crash doesn’t appear to have derailed his spring entirely. Barring any setbacks, Skjelmose is expected to be fit and ready to line up for Liège–Bastogne–Liège this Sunday, the final Monument of the spring, and one of the races he had been targeting following his breakout win at Amstel Gold Race.