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Mattias Skjelmose: The Blonde Assassin

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So he didn't go faster when he could have eliminated Evenepoel, because Evenepoel is the real threat, just to give Gall the jersey. Ok.
Kim Andersen explained that they were worried he would be countered by Remco or others if he had attacked. He probably secured the podium, but both today and yesterday he could possibly have put himself in a better position to win the race. A podium would still be a great result for him though.
 
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Kim Andersen explained that they were worried he would be countered by Remco or others if he had attacked. He probably secured the podium, but both today and yesterday he could possibly have put himself in a better position to win the race. A podium would still be a great result for him though.
Apparently that’s why he is headed to the Tour. It’s the only place a rider gains experience. So I have been told.
 
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Interesting article:


Yeah, he had some pretty tough years.
‚He was a winner with a great future ahead and he could say anything, because nobody could talk back. He was a jerk.‘

‚Because something went terribly wrong for the young Skjelmose. He tested positive for a contaminated dietary supplement, ingested accidentally, was sidelined for eight months, and went from cycling every day to partying every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.‘

‚I’ve never been particularly sociable.‘

He does sound like a pretty interesting guy, shame I definitively, irreversibly declared him a wheelsucker today.
 
Kim Andersen explained that they were worried he would be countered by Remco or others if he had attacked. He probably secured the podium, but both today and yesterday he could possibly have put himself in a better position to win the race. A podium would still be a great result for him though.
I was just surprised with the answer the poster gave, because it didn't make sense.
 
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Skjelmose interview after the stage:

"Evenepoel and Ayuso are two of the sports "wonderkids", I have never been mentioned in that connection"

"I hope this means more money, haha"

"As for the Tour, I am still a level below Vingegaard and Pogacar, so I believe Vingegaard will beat me up - there is still a long way to a Tour podium, but this is a step in the right direction"

"I started the TT conservatively, to have power for the climb, I'm very proud of my TT, I didn't ride in the fastest suit"

"I made a mistake on the descent, because Kim Andersen got the corners confused, so I took out too much speed thinking the next corner was a hairpin - I believe I was the fastest from the 2nd intermediate to the finish"

"Kim Andersen is a huge part of this, I have spent more time with him than with my family, he supports me in everything and it was he that said to the team before the race, that he thought I would be flying and needed the teams full support, I cannot describe how important he is for my career, and hope he continues for many more years".
 
Hope he resists the temptation of going for GC at the Tour. Great rider for both the classics and the one-week stage races, but I still think a GC bid at the Tour would likely end up similar to Kämna's at the Giro in terms of both result and entertainment. Much like Kämna, he'll be more impactful if he goes for stages.
 
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Hope he resists the temptation of going for GC at the Tour. Great rider for both the classics and the one-week stage races, but I still think a GC bid at the Tour would likely end up similar to Kämna's at the Giro in terms of both result and entertainment. Much like Kämna, he'll be more impactful if he goes for stages.

He is most definitely riding GC at the Tour, the whole season has been leading up to that.

He may fail, but if he was not to try it now, after winning TdS, then when?