Skjelmose remains committed to Lidl-Trek despite reports he wants to leave
According to Daniel Benson, the Dane is said to be relaxed about his future, with Netcompany INEOS never having asked about him and the Giro d’Italia his likely Grand Tour target for 2027.
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Mattias Skjelmose remains committed to Lidl-Trek and is relaxed about his future, according to journalist Daniel Benson, despite reports earlier this week that he wants to leave.
HLN reported that the 26-year-old was unhappy with the growing competition for leadership after Lidl-Trek signed Felix Gall, and that Netcompany INEOS and Uno-X Mobility had been put off by the cost of buying out his contract, which runs until the end of 2028.
Writing on his Substack, he said Netcompany-Ineos have never approached Skjelmose or even asked about his availability. Uno-X have tested the waters over the last couple of seasons, but there have been no official talks or requests to speak to him. UAE Team Emirates-XRG and other WorldTour teams have also enquired, without anything concrete.
Skjelmose has already attended one Lidl-Trek camp this off-season. After his honeymoon he will rejoin his teammates in Denia in December, where race programmes will be confirmed and his leadership options set out.
According to Benson, the Giro d’Italia currently looks the more likely Grand Tour target, though the details of his 2027 season are still to be agreed.
The questions over his role are understandable. Lidl-Trek have added Gall and Jordan Jegat for next season to a squad that already included Juan Ayuso and Derek Gee-West, giving them four potential Grand Tour leaders. Gall arrives after podium finishes at both the Giro and the Vuelta a España, while Giulio Ciccone has left for Pinarello Q36.5.
Lidl-Trek’s head of performance Josu Larrazabal acknowledged the challenge earlier this week. “Managing egos requires direct, clear communication,” he told MARCA. “We are going to have to make decisions that will not always please everyone, but that is a welcome challenge.”
Skjelmose has faced similar questions before. When his partnership with Ayuso dominated the build-up to the Tour de France, he dismissed the doubts after the pair rode together at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in June.
“Many media outlets have made a big deal out of nothing,” Skjelmose told TV2. “I’m happy that we’ve been able to show that we can both be team leaders at the same time.”
An early exit would not be unprecedented. Remco Evenepoel, Ayuso, Oscar Onley, Filippo Ganna and Ciccone have all left teams before the end of their contracts, and Lidl-Trek signed Ayuso from UAE despite his deal running until 2028.
Alex Carera, Pogačar’s agent, told La Gazzetta dello Sport that early terminations have gone from “roughly once every three years” to around ten a year. For now, though, Skjelmose does not appear to be heading that way.
