Mattias Skjelmose: "If Mathieu van der Poel feels the same way he did in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, few will be able to follow him"
Cycling
Mattias Skjelmose was second at Flèche Wallone and rode a brilliant Liège-Bastogne-Liège last year, and so in 2024 he comes into the Ardennes classics with higher ambitions and the sole leadership of Lidl-Trek. However, he recognizes that it will be difficult to top Mathieu van der Poel.
“Maybe the Flèche Wallonne suits me better, but I really like this race," Skjelmose told Wielerflits ahead of the race. "It was super difficult last year. We have to anticipate, because if Mathieu van der Poel feels the same way he did in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, few will be able to follow him. If you don't anticipate, you're going to have to ride after him.”
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The Dane is all too aware of the dangers of the World Champion. Last year Tadej Pogacar was the strongest on the road and made the differences on the climbs towards a solo win, in a way that Amstel wasn't won in many years. Into the last decisive ascents of the day, several teams will want to be ahead of Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek, despite not having the flashiest of lineups, will want to be among them.
However Alpecin have a very strong lineup including Gianni Vermeersch who essentially covered the main attacks at both Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix before van der Poel made his move. The key climbs will be between 40 and 25 kilometers to go as well, which means the race has to open very early on for the Belgian team to be put under serious pressure.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- All journalists should start asking the UCI uncomfortable questions, sending inquiries about the interpretation of the rules and the justification of the results. This is the only way to change anything.averagecyclist09-11-2026
- OFF TOPIC: OK, don't get mad with me... I have some very important news, something that can't be overlooked, something that can't be ignored!!! In the new documentary Anatomy of a G.O.A.T. (released in November 2026), legendary Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx spoke about Tadej Pogačar: “He has revived a style of cycling that we had almost forgotten. He is now better than me.” Key statements by Eddy Merckx about Pogačar in 2026: - Acknowledging his superiority: This time, Merckx openly admitted, without any subsequent backtracking or reservations, that Pogačar had surpassed him and was now above him. This contrasts with 2024, when he quickly softened his remarks about Pogačar being faster. - The possibility of a historic treble (Giro, Tour and Vuelta): During the July Tour de France (where Pogačar claimed his fifth title), Merckx stated that Pogačar was the only cyclist in history capable of winning all three Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España) in a single season, provided the conditions were right and he had sufficient team support. - Lack of serious competition: Merckx emphasised that Pogačar has no real rivals in the mountains, thanks to his extraordinary climbing ability and the fact that he continues to improve despite still being under 28 (he turned 28, or passed that age, in autumn 2026). - Praise for his racing style: He highlighted how Pogačar is bringing back the aggressive, uncompromising spirit of cycling's golden era, when races were not merely about calculated stages and tactical conservatism, but about attacking from long distances. PS: Now, this is real important cycling news. Capish?PogiSloFans09-11-2026
- how else is there to look at things? we are responding to words and pictures, we are not there. your long winded replies make zero sense to anyone. pretty much everyone but you says the same thing. MS was robbed. somehow you think you're so smart to dig beneath the surface and discover something no one else, including the opposing coach and cyclist, saw. lol. you are a tool.mij09-11-2026
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026
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One more chapter to write in the book 📖 of the 2024 Classics’ season: the Ardennes! First event is scheduled for Sunday, the #AGR 🇳🇱 Our men squad 👇
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