Why Amstel Gold Race winner Mattias Skjelmose tried to sweat as much as possible before Liège–Bastogne–Liège

Give Skjelmose a chair and a few good questions, and you know you’re in for a good conversation, one where you, as the interviewer, can actually learn a thing or two. As smoothly as the Dane rides his bike, he speaks just as fluently. He also knows how to communicate well through Instagram, as we saw after his victory in the Gold Race. A follow-up to that took place Friday at the Van der Valk hotel in Maastricht, where many cycling teams are based during Ardennes Classics week.

The most important question: how are you feeling after your crash?
"I feel pretty beaten up. Nothing is broken, but I do have some swelling that hurts when I walk. On the bike, it’s better, and of course, there’s still some time before Sunday."

I read your reaction on Instagram, where you said you accelerated too eagerly after a corner. But what exactly happened?
"Our downhill specialist, or however you want to call it, analyzed it and concluded that I tried to brake a bit too much and then lost the rear wheel. From that moment on, there was no saving it."

And then you're lying there. What goes through your mind at that moment?
"At first, I was really worried because I couldn’t move my arm properly. I really thought my elbow was broken, and the ride to the bus was very painful, but after a hot shower and a check-up, everything seemed okay."

You already did a recon ride on Thursday. Was that important?
"I tried to sweat as much as possible to reduce the swelling as much as I could. Other than that, I just stuck to my plan heading into Sunday: a long training ride on Thursday, an easy ride on Friday, and then as much recovery as possible before Sunday."

You’re not going to reveal your tactics for Sunday, but how do you think you can get the best out of yourself?
"It’s going to be very difficult to beat Tadej. What I think will happen is that they’ll set a high pace, and then Tadej will launch his attack on La Redoute. If I can, I’ll try to follow him. If that’s not possible, then I hope to hang on to a place in the chasing group."

Last year you also tried to follow Tadej and afterward you said: if you get too close to the sun, you get burned. Are you taking that experience with you into this year?
"That's right, but after analyzing everything, we concluded that I wasn’t at my best after the hypothermia I suffered in Liège. I wouldn’t have been able to follow Tadej anyway, but I also couldn’t recover well after that effort. I’m going to try again now, if I feel good on the bike. But a podium or a top five in a Monument would also be amazing, knowing that I’ve already won the Amstel. Even if it goes badly, the Ardennes campaign is already a success."

In January you uttered the phrase 'pressure is privilege', but is that pressure still there?
"I trust that things will go better, even after my crash. I could sit here saying everything is sh*t and beat myself up, but I keep believing. Though it will still be very hard to beat Tadej and Remco."

Can you share a bit about your emotions after the Amstel?
"It was definitely the most beautiful race I’ve won. Because it was the Amstel Gold Race, but also because I was able to beat Tadej and Remco, two of the biggest talents of this generation. After all the bad luck I’ve had this year, it was a mix of pure happiness and relief. It was a huge win for me, but also for the entire Lidl–Trek team."

Is it difficult to stay focused on the upcoming races while still caught up in all those emotions?
"It could be, and I have to say I didn’t sleep much from Sunday to Monday either, but there’s also a kind of calm that comes over you. Overall, it’s manageable because we only had to stay focused for a few more days."  

Mads Pedersen has also done well this spring. How much of an inspiration is he for you?
"He was and still is a big role model for me. When I joined the team, he was the world champion. But he immediately took me under his wing and slowly started teaching me the things he had learned during his younger years. He suddenly became a big star, but he still had a lot to learn back then.

I’ve grown, but during that time he grew even further. So in a way, we’ve grown together. We have a really good bond."

Have you been in touch with him during this spring campaign?
"Definitely. He immediately sent me a message on Sunday, and again on Wednesday after I crashed, telling me to be smart and not to overstrain my body. He knows what that situation is like, from his crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen last year. And he doesn’t have to send that message, he’s currently on a break with his family. The fact that he still did means a lot."

How were the other reactions in the peloton? Maybe partly because you beat both Tadej and Remco, but everyone seemed genuinely happy for you. Also because they know how much you sacrifice for it?
"I’ve never received so many messages. It was overwhelming. I got a lot of congratulations from people I know but normally don’t really talk to. Everyone said: it was so great to see you win. Maybe for them it was nice to see someone beat the big names, because in a way it served as an inspiration."