Teams & Riders Mattias Skjelmose: The Blond Assassin

[Danskebjerge]

I'm not sure that he'll be a designated domestique in many - if any - races. But he has shown several times that he doesn't mind working for Pedersen for instance. As long as it goes both ways, he's fine with it.

I don't think that there will be much of an overlap between Ayuso and him, though. Skjelmose will target the Ardennes, the Giro and Worlds, and Ayuso will have his eyes set on the Tour.

And Ciccone the Vuelta?

 

[steffr222]

And Ciccone the Vuelta?

Not going for GC anymore

Dangerous outsider Ciccone makes key decision and uses World Championship as first step toward new ambitions

Giulio Ciccone has had quite an eventful year. He showed himself to be better than ever in the hill classics, but he is still struggling in the Grand Tours. That is why the Italian from Lidl-Trek is o...

www.idlprocycling.com

 

[Danskebjerge]

Not going for GC anymore

Dangerous outsider Ciccone makes key decision and uses World Championship as first step toward new ambitions

Giulio Ciccone has had quite an eventful year. He showed himself to be better than ever in the hill classics, but he is still struggling in the Grand Tours. That is why the Italian from Lidl-Trek is o...

www.idlprocycling.com

Same with Skjelmose, isn't it? Can't keep up after a week.

Maybe they just don't use any GC spices in that team.

 

[Cycling111]

Giro in 2026 and:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1999484379916300687

View: https://x.com/dnlbenson/status/1999484379916300687?s=20

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Giro in 2026 and:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1999484379916300687

View: https://x.com/dnlbenson/status/1999484379916300687?s=20

I just read that he would do the Tour as a domestique for Ayuso in 2026. Is he also doing the Giro?

 

[Cycling111]

I just read that he would do the Tour as a domestique for Ayuso in 2026. Is he also doing the Giro?

I've read that he'll be leading the Giro, and the Ardennes with Ayuso.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Hahhahahahahahahaha I'm loving this already.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1999483479688675467

View: https://x.com/i/status/1999483479688675467

 

[Hugo Koblet]

This is very strange to me. He asked the management to do the Giro already last year but was forced to do the Tour instead. I would have imagined him doing the Giro next year for sure then. Oh well, this is good news for Uno-X. They just got themselves a big name for 2027.

 

[Cycling111]

Having won Amstel, I doubt he's just a support rider. In those races, he should definitely be ahead of Ayuso, who has shown he struggles in races over 200 kilometers.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Having won Amstel, I doubt he's just a support rider. In those races, he should definitely be ahead of Ayuso, who has shown he struggles in races over 200 kilometers.

Yes, it says that the Ardennes are his goal - as a leader alongside Ayuso. Not as a domestique.

 

[Cycling111]

Yes, it says that the Ardennes are his goal - as a leader alongside Ayuso. Not as a domestique.

The word "support" that Benson uses will be clickbait

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Giro team will have ciccone, Milan and Thibaud nys. I'm not sure why Nys is a noteworthy name, but the other 2 being leaders probably explains why skejmose wasn't selected for that race.

 

[Cycling111]

@Hugo Koblet It seems the initial information I read was incorrect and Skjelmose will not be going to the Giro.
Going to the Tour as a domestique. That could end very badly

 

[Samu Cuenca]

@Hugo Koblet It seems the initial information I read was incorrect and Skjelmose will not be going to the Giro.
Going to the Tour as a domestique. That could end very badly

It can't really end much worse than the other times he and Ayuso have started the Tour.

 

[RedheadDane]

It can't really end much worse than the other times he and Ayuso have started the Tour.

Bit of a difference in that they'll be teammates next year.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Bit of a difference in that they'll be teammates next year.

If either finishes Tour without major mishaps it will still be an improvement no matter how much they may argue with each other and team management throughout the race.

 

[RedheadDane]

This is very strange to me. He asked the management to do the Giro already last year but was forced to do the Tour instead. I would have imagined him doing the Giro next year for sure then. Oh well, this is good news for Uno-X. They just got themselves a big name for 2027.

Wasn't the primary reason he was told he had to do the Tour this year, because of his success (relatively speaking) in the Vuelta last year, showing that he'd proved he could ride for GC - at least top-5 - in a GT?
Of course, the clear light of hindsight shows that it might have been a good idea to have allowed him to do the Giro this year, just to be certain that last year's Vuelta result wasn't a fluke...

Having won Amstel, I doubt he's just a support rider. In those races, he should definitely be ahead of Ayuso, who has shown he struggles in races over 200 kilometers.

Well, he could be the (main) leader of Amstel next year, while Ayuso gets the two other Ardennes (the ones that actually take place in the Ardennes...)
Because, let's face it; apart from his 2nd in FW two years ago, his success in that race last year and this year... not great...

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Wasn't the primary reason he was told he had to do the Tour this year, because of his success (relatively speaking) in the Vuelta last year, showing that he'd proved he could ride for GC - at least top-5 - in a GT?
Of course, the clear light of hindsight shows that it might have been a good idea to have allowed him to do the Giro this year, just to be certain that last year's Vuelta result wasn't a fluke...




Well, he could be the (main) leader of Amstel next year, while Ayuso gets the two other Ardennes (the ones that actually take place in the Ardennes...)
Because, let's face it; apart from his 2nd in FW two years ago, his success in that race last year and this year... not great...

I mean, in FW unless you're one of the favourites you don't really need a domestique, they could both go for it and see what happens