Riding around with a hernia: that’s what Mattias Skjelmose has been doing the past few days in the Gree-Tour of Guangxi. The Dane is struggling (just like last year) with back problems, was nevertheless called up by his team Lidl-Trek for the final WorldTour race of the season, but withdrew during the third stage.
Skjelmose made a strong impression at the Road World Championships in Rwanda – just missing out on a medal – and then finished seventh at the European Championships, but things went wrong in the Giro di Lombardia. He developed a back hernia early in the race and had to abandon in the Italian classic. The explosive climber already dealt with similar back issues last year.
Despite his physical problems, the Dane still had to prepare for the long trip to China for the Gree-Tour of Guangxi. Skjelmose had low expectations due to his hernia. “My back is still pretty fucked, so it’s a matter of seeing what I can still do. Maybe I’ll hold on for ten kilometers, or perhaps I’m able to finish the race. We’ll see,” he told Cyclingnews in an interview.
In the first two stages, Skjelmose managed to endure the pain, but on the third stage to Bama, the Amstel Gold Race winner was forced to slam on the brakes. “It was not my choice to start here,” he said earlier this week. “It’s a decision made by the team. Normally it’s also a good opportunity to win a WorldTour race. That’s always a bonus.”
The 25-year-old suspects it mainly has to do with the current standing in the UCI Team Ranking. Lidl-Trek still (mathematically) has a chance to overtake Visma | Lease a Bike. “Although that’s unlikely now, finishing second in the UCI ranking would mean a lot to us. I think that’s the reason.”
