Mattias Skjelmose, third at the start of today's Paris-Nice stage, was victim of a hard crash that raised serious concerns over his health status. Lidl-Trek has however in the meantime confirmed that miraculously, the Danish rider suffered no fractures.
The crash with 51 kilometers to go happened because of an unmarked piece of road furniture, which he was not able to avoid. The unexpected hit led him to hit the floor with his head pretty hard, and for several minutes Skjelmose remained on the floor - where his withdrawal from the race was also confirmed. A possible head injury, or as some speculated, in the pelvis, were feared.
But the American team has shared good news now, a few hours after the stage finish: "Good news! Initial reports from the hospital informs us that there are no fractures for Skjelmose," the team wrote in a social media post.
Denmark’s Paris-Nice contender Mattias Skjelmose was forced to abandon the race in an ambulance, after crashing into a traffic island at full speed 😳🤕
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) March 15, 2025
Third in the rankings of the eight-day race, race doctors sent him to hospital.pic.twitter.com/9B09mHYOrV