This time final 12 months, Mattias Skjelmose was plotting a cautious path to the 2025 Tour de France which concerned taking over his first Grand Tour as chief, the Vuelta a España, and proving to himself he might address the arduous nature of a three-week GC bid.
However, after succeeding in that purpose on the Vuelta, the place he completed fifth general, received the most effective younger rider’s white jersey and solely bought higher because the race went on, Skjelmose modified his ambition to wanting one other 12 months of constructing on the Giro d’Italia.
He hasn’t been afforded that luxurious after revealing his 2025 schedule, although, with Lidl-Trek as an alternative selecting to stay with the unique plan and ship him to the Tour to chase GC.
“We modified the plans in late fall, nevertheless it’s again to being the Tour once more,” Skjelmose advised media together with Cyclingnews at his workforce’s January coaching camp.
“I want to have completed the Giro. After the Vuelta, it appeared like the obvious step. But the workforce needed me on the Tour.
“The Giro was my alternative and I used to be motivated for that. But I additionally perceive that the workforce’s important aim is the Tour and we need to put the strongest squad in any respect the Grand Tours and my house was within the Tour.”
Team administration additionally revealed that it is partially as a result of sponsors being sad with how the 2024 Tour went for Lidl-Trek, who after Mads Pedersen deserted earlier than stage 8, had been left with out their key stage hunter.
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Giulio Ciccone additionally tried for GC however completed outdoors the highest 10 and over 20 minutes away from the rostrum. Skjelmose gives the possibility at a a lot larger end.
“The Giro was the preliminary plan however then if you begin to analyze and also you additionally know that the sponsor was not pleased with what occurred final 12 months, then you must change issues,” stated lead DS Steven de Jongh to Cyclingnews.
“I believe with Mattias there, we have now a very good probability. He’s a man who survives the wind fairly properly and handles that stress, in fact, it is vital to have a GC man like him on the Tour.
“If everyone is wholesome and match, I believe he will likely be near the highest 5 to seven within the Tour and that will likely be very nice.”
After impressing in Spain and shedding out solely to Primož Roglič, Ben O’Connor, Richard Carapaz and Enric Mas, Skjelmose was happy with the step up he made however felt going for GC on the Tour was too quickly, with a Giro look in 2025 extra appropriate to his present degree.
“I’m tremendous pleased with my Vuelta, particularly as a result of I had a tough first week and I actually bounced again,” he stated.
“I confirmed my perception that I may very well be a GC chief at a Grand Tour, additionally the way in which the Vuelta was ridden was actually onerous with no straightforward days, which confirmed that my restoration is bettering and that was my important drawback in earlier Grand Tours.”
The Dane felt the rostrum was extra inside attain on the Giro in comparison with on the Tour the place, barring harm to any of the highest stars, he’ll doubtless be within the thick of a congested struggle for fourth behind the trio of Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.
“With all of the respect for the Vuelta, I believe is the one that’s perhaps the best with media consideration and stress and clearly the Tour is above all by fairly an enormous quantity,” stated Skjelmose.
“So the Giro would make sense in the way in which that there is extra stress than the Vuelta, however nonetheless not as a lot as within the Tour. I felt I took an enormous step after the Vuelta, pure performance-wise, and I want to have seen myself performing [at the Giro], perhaps reaching for a podium.”
While he does not but imagine 2025 is the 12 months he matches these three talked about above, Skjelmose is aware of something can occur in three weeks.
“I stated earlier than that you simply at all times attempt to be the most effective as potential since you by no means know the way good the fellows there are. And I’ve by no means been with these guys, so I do not know the numbers wanted to stick with them,” stated the Dane.
“I believe it might be tough to stick with them this 12 months however I hope to be proper behind them not less than. Then in case you’re there, you by no means know, one dangerous day within the Tour, and plenty of issues can occur. But I nonetheless assume they’re one or two steps above me.”
Skjelmose will not be the primary focus as he was on the Vuelta again in August and September, with Jonathan Milan’s debut and the dash practice he is bringing with him set to take up nearly all of Lidl-Trek’s eight-man roster.
“Yes and no,” stated Skjelmose when requested if he was the workforce chief for July. “The important precedence will likely be Milan, after which I’ll see the way it goes.
As it stands, he will not have any particular mountain assist, however rather a lot can modified to their deliberate roster within the subsequent seven months and the Dane is conscious, as Mads Pedersen when it was introduced he would not be doing the Tour, that Milan presents an actual probability at successful 4 levels and the inexperienced jersey.
“I imply, in fact, I’d have appreciated some assist, and I do not assume it is absolutely determined but,” stated Skjelmose.
“But I additionally perceive that Johnny might be essentially the most proficient sprinter on this planet proper now and he wants all of the assist he can. He’s bought an enormous shot at inexperienced and we have to assist the workforce objectives.
“The workforce prioritized this and that is how it’s. I simply need to present myself and if it finally ends up not being on GC, then some other place.”
Skjelmose will head to 3 altitude camps round his season earlier than beginning the Tour in Lille, with a largely related calendar to 2024. He’ll begin issues in France on the Faun-Ardèche and Faun-Drome Classics, earlier than using Paris-Nice, Itzulia Basque Country, all three Ardennes Classics and the Critérium du Dauphiné.