"If anyone can beat Pogacar in Huy, it’s Thibau Nys"; Lidl–Trek wants to rumble on with confidence boost

Skjelmose’s strong focus on the Ardennes classics had already come to light during an interview at the Tour of the Basque Country. Despite being competitive at the front of that race, he surprised the interviewer by saying the Basque Country was not a major goal for him. No, the hillier classics were his true priority. At the press conference after his Amstel victory, he elaborated: “Yes, I’m in even better shape now than I was then,” said Skjelmose. “Since my crash at Paris–Nice, I’ve gone through a rough patch. I didn’t even know if I’d be able to start in the Basque Country. But that crash ended up being the best thing that could’ve happened for the Ardennes classics. I went into the Basque Country at about 95 percent form, and those six super-tough stages were perfect to get that last 5%.”

Skjelmose’s victory in the Amstel Gold Race might be even more surprising than if it had happened last year. In 2023, he took second place in La Flèche Wallonne, but last year he seemed noticeably weaker. “After the 2023 season, I lost a lot of power,” he said. “That year’s Tour de France really took its toll on me. I struggled to find my best legs again afterward. But this winter, we made a good adjustment. I spent a lot of time in the gym, and clearly that’s paying off now.”

Is it surprising that he, as a lighter rider, won the Amstel, traditionally the least suited to climbers out of the three Ardennes classics? “It’s definitely the one that suits me the least. But if the race is ridden at such a fast pace like it was today, it’s better for climbers. We also had a really strong team today. It was the first time I asked for a rider to stay with me all race. Otto Vergaerde did just that and was unbelievable today. He kept me in the right position, he almost helped me pee when I had to,” Skjelmose laughed. “The team did everything perfectly, and that’s why I’m sitting here now.”

As for the race itself: the major selection had already begun several kilometers before the finish, but with 45 km to go, Tadej Pogacar responded to an attack by Julian Alaphilippe. “It was really frustrating that I was blocked behind Ben Healy at that moment, because otherwise I could’ve gone with Tadej. Luckily, I managed to get back up there with Remco.”

On the Keutenberg, Skjelmose attacked from the small group behind Pogacar. He wasn’t closing the gap, until Evenepoel bridged up to him solo and rode fast enough to put Pogacar under pressure. Did Skjelmose believe that he and Remco could actually catch Pogacar? “Not at all,” he said. “When Tadej attacks, you usually ride for second place. So when I attacked on the Keutenberg, it was with that in mind. Once I got to Remco, I was on the limit. I told him that, and he believed me. I probably did 20 percent of the work behind Tadej, and he did 80 percent. On my own, I never could’ve caught Tadej. But the best possible rider to have with me was with me: Remco.” “On the climb after the penultimate time up the Cauberg, I started to believe. Remco did a few brutal turns on the front, I was suffering, but we caught Tadej.”

Did Skjelmose have a plan on the final climb of the Cauberg? “Not to get dropped,” the Dane laughed. “I really had nothing left in my legs. I was just super happy to be in that group. Third place seemed like the best possible outcome. On the last time up the Cauberg, I went to the front to keep the pace up a bit and stay ahead. After that, I gave myself less than a 10 percent chance of winning the sprint. Of course, I always race for the best result, but since the penultimate time up the Cauberg, I was on my limit. I had no power left.” Yet Skjelmose managed to hang on and won the sprint in Berg en Terblijt, against all odds.

Skjelmose finished second behind Pogacar in La Flèche Wallonne in 2023. Now, all eyes are on his Lidl–Trek teammate Thibau Nys, who has set his sights on Wednesday’s classic. But does Skjelmose’s Amstel Gold Race win change anything about team leadership heading into La Flèche? “Yes, I was second on the Mur de Huy two years ago. But I have to be realistic. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if anyone can beat Tadej Pogacar on the Mur de Huy, it’s Thibau Nys. If he’s on a good day, he’s our guy. But when I was second to Tadej two years ago, Giulio Ciccone finished fifth. So it’s possible to play more than one card. We’re riding to win and Nys is the only rider in the peloton I can see potentially beating Tadej there.”