"Not crack tomorrow and we see what destiny brings" - Mattias Skjelmose into White Jersey at La Vuelta 2024 with just two stages left

Whilst the Red Jersey at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana might be over after stage 19, where Primoz Roglic soloed to the stage win atop Alto de Moncalvillo, the fight for the White Jersey and the title of Best Young Rider is starting to really heat up.

Following his third placed finish on the final climb of stage 19, the new man in white is Lidl-Trek's Mattias Skjelmose. Now just 8 seconds ahead of Carlos Rodriguez, with Florian Lipowitz just over a minute down, is the Dane timing his move to perfection with just two, decisive stages left to go at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana?

“It’s my first time doing a proper GC in a Grand Tour and of course I start to feel it," Skjelmose admits in his post-stage interview. "I think the other guys do as well… maybe not Primoz Roglic! I tried not to go over the limit on any day, just to save myself as much as possible and doing the minimal amount of work possible."

"The most important for me was to prove myself. If I lose two minutes tomorrow, or if I gain two minutes, it’s not the most important," Skjelmose concludes. "The most important is to stay consistent, not crack tomorrow, and we see what destiny brings. It’s just one day at a time.”

Best Young Rider classification after stage 19 at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana: