Lidl-Trek team manager De Jongh: "Skjelmose has been in peak form for long time, we have to be honest about that"

"We can now push forward much more in terms of support and training, and aim to attract bigger names. This way, we can improve the overall strength of the team, which also applies to the development team we are starting and the women's team, which can recruit five additional riders."

"We do have more possibilities for that now, but we have also seen that riders we develop ourselves perform very well. We actually believe in that a lot. With Mattias and Juan Pedro in the team, we already have the necessary talent for that within our ranks."

"Skjelmose is given the opportunity to go for a general classification, but it's his first Tour and we know how challenging that can be. We also have to be honest: he has been in peak form for a long time now, but whether he can maintain that form for three more weeks? We'll see. If it turns out in the first week that he can't, we'll give him a few days of rest and then he can target stage wins."

"That is definitely nice, but the last week is also tough. The battle for the general classification will unfold rapidly, and we hope Skjelmose can make an immediate impact. In the first stage, Skjelmose and Giulio Ciccone should be able to hold their own, but I think it might be a bit too tough for Mads Pedersen. I did that climb in Getxo last year, and it's really challenging. The combination with Alto de Vivero is very difficult."

"It is certainly fantastic that he won the Tour de Suisse, but that is also because our expectations as a team remain the same. He knows that, and we won't put any extra pressure on him. Many eyes are on him, but he shouldn't let himself get overwhelmed."

"That's correct, they get along incredibly well. Mattias is also a clever guy who can simply follow Mads' wheel in sprints, for example. There are also general classification riders who don't need to be placed in a train because it would be futile."

"'Cicco is essentially targeting stage wins, but well... I also think he will stay relatively close to the top in the overall standings in the first few days. It's very difficult for him to lose time. He will also keep an eye on the polka dot jersey, but in recent years, that has often been won by a general classification rider. So, it's challenging for him to aim for that.'"

"That's true, so there are definitely opportunities. We are curious to see what he can do. It's actually the first time he has been able to fully prepare for the Tour. He's very happy about that because normally he always rode the Giro leading up to that."

"That's for sure. But we have several of those guys, so in that sense, we have a really fun team here. Juan Pedro also has a very lively personality, which you might not immediately expect. It makes working together very enjoyable for everyone, including the staff."

"We broke the news to Bauke the day before the Dutch National Time Trial Championship, and he took it very well. He was disappointed, but it also shows the strength of the team we have now. We had to choose between him, Quinn Simmons and López. Those guys represent the future, and they are also performing very well. At some point, you have to make a choice, and a decision was made in favor of the future."

"That is certainly difficult, but it's part of the job. However, Bauke took it very well, and that's nice to see. I am convinced that we will get to witness a very strong Bauke in the Vuelta."