At the Amstel Gold Race this time Mattias Skjelmose had to settle for a second place of the highest level behind Remco Evenepoel, at the end of an intense duel that confirmed the growth of the Danish rider among the Ardennes greats.

Coming off some physical issues after the Tour of the Basque Country, Skjelmose was not disappointed and views this placement as a positive result that exceeded his pre-race expectations.

«Yes, I'm happy with this second place. I wasn't feeling great after the Basque Country and didn't know what to expect. Second place is really excellent. The performance was great, looking at the numbers. And being able to follow someone like Remco all the way to the finish is a great result, for the team too: it's like rain on parched ground».

Words that tell how the Danish rider is a self-aware competitor, capable of reading his own race without making excuses and valuing what he accomplished against one of the world's best riders.

The bond between Skjelmose and the Amstel grows ever deeper. After his 2025 victory, the Dane confirmed how well this course suits his characteristics:

«I have a special relationship with this race. I've always dreamed of the cobbled classics, but for obvious reasons my abilities show themselves on other terrain. This is the race that comes closest: narrow roads, up and down, continuous turns. I love it. Even though every time I finish I think I'll never do it again because it's crazy... then I can't wait to come back».

A love-hate relationship that well describes the technical difficulty of the Amstel, a nervous and unpredictable race, far from the standards of the great Monument Classics but equally selective.

As in 2025, this time too the race was decided in the finale, but with a different outcome: if last year Skjelmose had surprised everyone by beating Tadej Pogacar and Evenepoel, in 2026 the roles were reversed.

«At the finish line I thought maybe it could happen again. One of my best qualities is that I easily fool myself: sometimes it's a bad thing, sometimes it's good. When he didn't drop me on the Cauberg I thought I could do it. But when he accelerated, I tried to respond, but it was clear he was the strongest».

The clarity and irony in the Danish rider's words enrich his personality, because not everyone admits the superiority of their rivals. The comparison with the 2025 Amstel Gold Race highlights a significant transformation: in 2025 Skjelmose was the outsider capable of surprising everyone, while today he has become one of the race's main contenders, marked and expected as a potential winner.

In the finale we went from a three-way finish to a direct duel, more controlled and less chaotic. If twelve months ago it was the day of his breakthrough, today it is the day of confirmation, where Skjelmose is no longer a surprise, but a certainty.