"Only two riders have won an Ardennes Classic this year - and I’m one of them" - Mattias Skjelmose stays positive despite Liege-Bastogne-Liege disappointment

Still feeling the effects of a crash at La Fleche Wallonne in midweek, Mattias Skjelmose struggled to produce his best form at Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2025, coming home in 39th place, 1:10 down on race-winner Tadej Pogacar.

Nevertheless, there is still plenty of reason to be positive for the Danish leader of Lidl-Trek. After all, he leaves the Ardennes with a victory of his own from the Amstel Gold Race and his Lidl-Trek teammate Giulio Ciccone claimed an impressive 2nd behind Pogacar on Sunday at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. "When I wake up tomorrow, the sun will still rise," Skjelmose reflected in conversation with TV2 Sport in a post-race interview afterwards. "I’ve won Amstel. Only two riders have won an Ardennes Classic this year - and I’m one of them."

As mentioned, in terms of his own performance, that real top level was lacking for Skjelmose as he still felt some lingering effects of the crash in midweek at La Fleche Wallonne. "I wasn’t feeling great, so I figured I might as well be honest with the team," he explains, admitting that he realised relatively early that it wasn't going to be his day, instead focusing on helping the likes of Ciccone and Thibau Nys. "So I became a domestique instead," he concludes.