Painful! Skjelmose suffers from double hernia after breakfast table incident and ends season

With about 220 kilometers still to go, there was a crash on a straight road. João Almeida was involved, but Pello Bilbao seemed to be the one who was hit the hardest. The Spaniard took his time to get up and was in a lot of pain. Off-camera, it was Alaphilippe who suffered the most from the crash. It was soon reported that the former world champion had to abandon the race, as his shoulder had dislocated — a painful injury for the Frenchman.

The Danish Skjelmose had been the frontrunner for the strong Danish team, expected to have the best chance for a medal on the challenging course at the World Championships in Zürich. However, at the breakfast table, he made a wrong movement, and his back immediately seized up. There were immediate concerns, and the physiotherapist got to work right away. Despite a physio session, taping, heat and cold treatments, the issue wasn't fully resolved.

National coach Anders Lund explained to the Danish press what had happened. "Skjelmose made a movement after breakfast that affected his back. He’s been treated and feels a bit better. But of course, it’s something that weighed on us this morning. He’s at the start of the race, and we hope he’s fit enough to fight in the final," said the coach to TV2.

Is it time to move to plan B for the Danes? "We’ve discussed it, but right now, it’s important not to panic for just any reason. We don’t yet know what it all means. The race is long, we have to get to work, and there are plenty of opportunities to shape the race. We are still sticking to plan A," he said firmly. Skjelmose later appeared on camera to share his story. It was clear he wasn’t feeling his best, with a pained expression and a weary look as he spoke.

It was a sign of what was to come: Skjelmose dropped out of the World Championship road race after about 100 kilometers. The Dane passed the first lap at the finish line and decided to call it quits. Throughout the race, the Lidl-Trek rider was constantly hanging at the back. There was no improvement in his back condition, and so he withdrew.

Five days after the World Championships, it’s clear that Skjelmose’s unfortunate incident had long-lasting consequences. Extensive examinations have revealed that the Lidl-Trek rider must end his season, as he’s suffering from a double hernia. Skjelmose shared the news himself on Instagram. It’s a major setback for the Dane, who had hoped to shine in the Italian autumn races.

" I had been looking forward to the last part of the season with several big races, but a sudden and severe pain in my back the morning before the World Championship road race has put an end to my season. After thorough examinations of my back and an MRI scan, I have been diagnosed with two herniated discs. For this reason, I am forced to end the season now," said a clearly disappointed Skjelmose. "It is no secret that I am sad that my season has to end like this, but injuries are unfortunately a part of cycling. Now I will give my body some rest so that I can come back even stronger for next season."