Mattias Skjelmose seals off GC top-5 after a great time trial: "I knew that, if everything was right, I could do it"
Cycling
Mattias Skjelmose wrapped an excellent Vuelta a Espana with an 8th place in the final time trial. The Lidl-Trek rider lost some ground in the standings at the end of the first racing block, but since then he made no little to no mistakes, gradually moving up the standings to ultimately enter the top-5 in Madrid. And as a bonus, he takes home the white jersey too.
"Yes, job is done!" Skjelmose sighed in relief at the organiser's microphone after the time trial. "I wasn’t feeling very good, to be honest, but I think none of the GC guys were feeling really good. It’s been a crazy hard Vuelta, emptying the tank almost every day, no easy riding almost from Portugal. I think everybody started to feel it."
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The Danish time trial champion wasn't particularly surprised by his performance. "Confident is a big word, but I know we have good equipment, I know I can do good time trials, and I knew that, if everything was right, I could do it. And we did it today."
Entering the race, the 23-year-old had some doubts, but with this GC result, he can look towards brighter future. "This is more a milestone than a breakthrough. I think my breakthrough was more at the Tour de Suisse last year. It is my first Grand Tour GC, and to finish 5th in such a hard Vuelta, with the guys in front and the guys I have behind me is a really great result for me."
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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.
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- 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
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- 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 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
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