The young Dane finishes in 2nd place in the crucial race against the clock in the Tour of Denmark
Mattias Skjelmose, 21, continues to impress, racing to second in the 12.2-kilometer time trial in the Tour of Denmark. The young Dane, who recently inked a contract extension with Trek-Segafredo, has already proven his climbing prowess in the pro peloton, and in the Stage 2 race against the clock, put his time trial ability to the test.
When Skjelmose crossed the line he had set the fastest time, and pushed an established name and time trial specialist Geraint Thomas from the hot seat, by 12 seconds.
Mattias held the time until another young, rising talent, 20-year-old American Magnus Sheffield (Ineos), flew across the line three seconds quicker.
“I have been really working with Trek and Bontrager in aero testing to be more competitive in the time trials and it has paid off today,” said Mattias. “I got a really good reference and feedback from my teammates who started earlier. They told me to go out fast and you can recover a lot in the turns, and then the last part is just head-down, full gas, and that is pretty much what I did.
“I don’t think you could really save a pace anyway, it was just hard and the last 5k just what every you had left,” he added.
The two young guns’ times held tight over the final riders giving cycling a first real glimpse of its future.
Sheffield will wear the leader’s jersey into Stage 3, but Mattias sits in a close second, three seconds in arrears, setting up a thrilling final three days in Denmark.
“It depends on the weather forecast for tomorrow and Friday but it is looking that you can lose the GC these days and not really win it. The final day will be the big test,” said Skjelmose. “I think if you look at the GC we are in a perfect position in second place. I mean, of course I would like to have won today, but it is better for us to be in second and not having to pull tomorrow and the next days.
“Jasper (Stuyven) also did a good TT, so we can be really aggressive and that’s what we need to beat Ineos and Jumbo-Visma.”
Jasper Stuyven finished in 9th place in the time trial and rests in 8th GC at 24 seconds.
