• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Mattias Skjelmose: The Blonde Assassin

Page 9 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
He said his mistake was trying to follow Pogacar.
Well, that's one way of putting things, because he didn't leave Healy's wheel and not even tried to follow Carapaz. He put is face in the wind a whole 2 seconds trying to leave Healy's wheel and was immediately passed by the rest of the 1st chasing group.

Just not good enough, but the way he speaks of himself makes me feel like is an excellent contender for the most overrated rider, in this case by himself.
 
Skjelmose gives it the old "Icarus Syndrome" ...

"Skjelmose does however, seem to realise the reason things went wrong for him. "Everything went as expected and when Tadej went I tried to follow. I never recovered from that. Maybe I dreamed too big and forgot what kind of champion Tadej is," he assesses honestly. "Trying to follow him cost me my entire race. If you get too close to the sun, you will burn.”
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Skjelmose gives it the old "Icarus Syndrome" ...

"Skjelmose does however, seem to realise the reason things went wrong for him. "Everything went as expected and when Tadej went I tried to follow. I never recovered from that. Maybe I dreamed too big and forgot what kind of champion Tadej is," he assesses honestly. "Trying to follow him cost me my entire race. If you get too close to the sun, you will burn.”
Lol, what an arse. He maybe tried for a couple of seconds!

Just wasn't good enough, simple as.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Well, that's one way of putting things, because he didn't leave Healy's wheel and not even tried to follow Carapaz. He put is face in the wind a whole 2 seconds trying to leave Healy's wheel and was immediately passed by the rest of the 1st chasing group.

Just not good enough, but the way he speaks of himself makes me feel like is an excellent contender for the most overrated rider, in this case by himself.
Yeah, i'm a bit confused myself as well. He never tried to react to Pogacar, and after about 5 seconds before he gets ahead of Healy, he gets overtaken by others like Carapaz, Lutsenko, Bernal, Vlasov. Then moments later by Van Gils, Vansevenant and half the peloton. He's been tooting his own horn a lot lately. He was in the form of his life (according to himself) at Paris Nice, even better than last year at Suisse. But he got dropped like a brick by fat Evenepoel and Jorgenson. In Fleche he had a hard time imagining anybody beating him, and now he imagined himself on the podium with Pogacar and Van der Poel, he just didn't know what order yet.

Last year he was also in perfect position behind Evenepoel when he attacked. He couldn't follow, tried to come back with his teammate Ciccone, and ended up being overtaken and left behind by Buitrago, Benoot, Martin, Healy and Madouas, to finish in a group with 8 other guys.

I think the actual explanation is twofold. First of all, he isn't as good as he thinks he is, and secondly, his body hadn't fully recovered from wednesday. Because i do believe, if he were fit and healthy he should have been able to follow Pidcock and Vansevenant, who had already wasted quite a bit of energy in the chase after the crash earlier in the race.
 
Last edited: