Toms Skujins reassures cycling fans: 'People worried about their fantasy cycling team can sleep easy'

As mentioned, Skujins had a fantastic 2024. “Of course, the whole year was super good, and I achieved every goal. I did my best—it wasn’t a perfect season, but it came pretty close,” he said enthusiastically last winter. Skujins was in the finale of nearly every major classic up until Liège–Bastogne–Liège, picking up results like 8th in E3 and 10th in the Tour of Flanders.

In 2025, he’s once again on the radar with a very strong Lidl–Trek team. Mads Pedersen, Jonathan Milan, Mathias Vacek, Jasper Stuyven, and Skujins... it’s an intimidating lineup. One misstep, and you spend the rest of the spring riding as a domestique—so performing is a must. Skujins didn’t shine during the opening weekend, finishing 31st in Omloop and 82nd in Kuurne. Though, to be fair, those were both sprint finishes—something we hadn’t seen in years. He finished 12th in Strade Bianche.

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When asked if fantasy league players should be worried, Skujins laughs: “I didn’t finish in the top ten during the opening weekend last year either, did I? I was sick during the winter, so things didn’t go smoothly, and I felt like I was a bit behind where I usually want to be at this time of year. But it seems like I’ve caught up quickly,” says the always cheerful Latvian from Tirreno-Adriatico. It was during that race that he had a nasty crash on stage three, but Lidl–Trek repeatedly emphasized throughout the week that there was barely any damage.

So we can take Skujins’ words seriously. “The new status doesn’t bother me. I always have high expectations of myself anyway. So I don’t really get all the fantasy team comments,” he says with a wink. “Especially since I was pleasantly surprised with my form during the opening weekend and in Strade Bianche.” After Tirreno, we’ll see him again on Friday, March 28 in the E3 Saxo Classic, followed by the big Flemish classics: Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders. The Amstel Gold Race is also on his calendar.

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So his best legs should be coming out after Tirreno, and nothing suggests that won’t be the case for Skujins. According to him, that’s mainly due to the great atmosphere at Lidl–Trek. “It’s important for me to feel good on the bike, but especially within the team and in life. That’s why I’ve been riding with Lidl–Trek for so long—because I feel appreciated here and I see a long career ahead of me. I’m not going to leave for a few extra euros elsewhere.”

“A happy rider is a fast rider in my opinion. And if you’re fast, the results will come,” he says confidently. “I hope to get those results for myself again, but as long as we win something as a team this spring, I’ll be happy. So anyone worried about their fantasy team can sleep easy, haha!”

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])