Mattias Skjemose took an impressive and emotional victory ahead of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) after a three-up sprint to the line following an intense and exciting race.
It’s not often that after Pogačar launches an attack, he is caught but that is exactly what happened today when Skjelmose, and eventually, Evenepoel came together behind the reigning world champion on the final lap of Amstel Gold Race.
It was on the Kruisberg, that the rainbow jersey rode away from the rest of the field, after making the initial jump with Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) one climb earlier up the Gulperberg with 47km to go. However, his gap never extended much beyond 30 seconds as it tends to do when he goes alone and Skjelmose saw an opportunity to make a move to try to close the gap from a chasing group that also included Thibau Nys, in his first edition of the race.
An emotional wait on the finish line 🥹
Skjelly tells his story!
I was telling Remco all the time that I was on the limit and when we stopped riding together, I wanted to pull because I was riding for the podium, a podium would be a really big result for me. I tried to keep the group going so they didn't come back from behind and, obviously, sprint for the best result, but I thought I was going to cramp or see them go into the horizon.
In the sprint, I think Remco did perfect. I tried to have a bit of a gap and go on the right because the wind came from the left, but, yeah, Remco went right, and then Tadej went right as well, so I had to go on the left side and I think, in the end, yeah I don't know, I don't know what happened. I didn't believe it [when I passed Pogačar], I really didn't believe it. I was like really something is wrong, no. It means so much to win this race. I have had so much bad luck this season already and it’s been super hard mentally. I lost my granddad more than a month ago and I really wanted to give him a win and so, this is for him.
When Tadej goes, you know that you're riding for second, so when I did attack I knew it was for second. Up the Cauberg the last time, I had nothing left in my legs. My plan was just to not get dropped. I was already very happy to be in that group. I was thinking third would be the best result.
After my crash in Paris - Nice, I was really struggling and I didn't know if I'd even make it to the start of Itzulia. Going into Basque at 95% was perfect with six hard stages then, I got the extra 5%. Personally when we attacked, I was on the limit. I think Remco made up 80% and I made up 20%. Alone I would never have caught Tadej.
The best guy to have with me was Remco and, over the top of the Cauberg, the last time I went to the front just to keep the pace up because I wanted to keep the podium. It's a really important win for the team and gives them the result they deserve. I feel I've been unlucky but winning this with the start list that was here is really incredible. For my future and for the team's future it's really important that we make these results.
On paper, Amstel is the race that suits me the least, but when it's ridden so hard like it was today, it goes into my favor. It's more in the favor of the climbers instead of the puncheurs. I'm not a big fan of the positioning battle, but we have the perfect team for me and for the first time in my career, I asked that a rider always be with me, and Otto Vergarde was just incredible today. He always kept me in the perfect position. The team worked perfectly and that's the only reason that I'm here.
