Mattias Skjelmose and Juan Ayuso answer Lidl-Trek leadership doubts at Dauphiné

Ayuso and Skjelmose shared leadership responsibilities throughout the race, with both riders receiving opportunities while also working for one another when the situation demanded it. Their cooperation was particularly visible in the final stage, when Skjelmose committed himself fully to supporting the Spaniard.

“Skjelly rode an amazing pull for me, and I really tried to use all the force of the team to my advantage,” Ayuso told FloBikes after the finish. “Skelly did a great job sacrificing himself for me again.”

Ayuso had hoped a long-range attack could turn the race in his favour, particularly after the way the Saturday stage had unfolded. Instead, Isaac del Toro proved too strong.

“When he went from so far away, I was hoping for what happened yesterday, just the other way around,” Ayuso said. “He was on another level today and we have to just accept it.”

The result may not have been what Lidl-Trek wanted, but the performance strengthened the impression that Ayuso and Skjelmose are becoming an effective partnership. 

Rather than competing for status within the team, they appeared willing to recognise the race situation and commit to whichever rider had the best opportunity.

That cooperation reflected Ayuso’s message earlier in the week and was reinforced by Skjelmose after the final stage.

“To be honest, these questions are ridiculous to me,” Ayuso told CyclingPro.net before stage four. “We are teammates and we are both here to help each other. Whoever is strongest will then get the result. I don’t see any dilemma.”

Skjelmose expressed a similar view after the final stage. He believes much of the discussion surrounding their shared leadership had been created outside the team.

“Many media outlets have made a big deal out of nothing,” Skjelmose told TV 2 Sport. “I’m happy that we’ve been able to show that we can both be team leaders at the same time.”

Asked what Ayuso is like to work with, the Dane kept his answer simple.

“He’s a good guy. There’s not much more to it than that. This is the first proper race we’ve done together, and we’ve built a good working relationship that we can take into the Tour.”

The scrutiny did not appear from nowhere. When Lidl-Trek presented its plans for the 2026 season, Skjelmose was surprised to discover that Ayuso was also scheduled to race La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Skjelmose had initially understood that he would be the team’s sole leader in the Ardennes.

Ayuso ultimately missed those races following a viral infection, but the episode contributed to questions about how the two leaders would divide opportunities during the season.

Skjelmose nevertheless made it clear at the time that he wanted to make the partnership work. He spoke positively about their shared interest in equipment and performance optimisation, while stressing that trust could only be developed through racing together.

That process now appears to be well underway. What began with scepticism is starting to look like a partnership. Bromance might be pushing it for now, but on the evidence of their first real race together, the foundations are certainly there.