Skjelmose is not happy with developments at Lidl-Trek: 'That doesn’t sit well'

Skjelmose is one of the core riders at Lidl-Trek. He joined the team—which was still based in America at the time—back in 2020 and has been regarded all these years as a great talent with Grand Tour ambitions. At the age of 20, in his debut year in 2021, he finished sixth in the UAE Tour, and a year later he made his debut in a Grand Tour: the Giro d’Italia.

Over the years, Skjelmose developed into a specialist in the climbing classics and steadily built his status as a leader in the general classification. With his victory in the Tour of Luxembourg in 2022, he claimed his first win as a pro. Starting in 2023, he began winning more frequently, finishing second in the Flèche Wallonne, among other results, and was crowned Danish champion.

When Skjelmose began winning major WorldTour races in 2024 and competing in the overall standings, it seemed that Lidl-Trek had a major team leader on its roster. A fifth-place finish in the Vuelta a España (wearing the white jersey of best young rider) confirmed that. In 2025, his progress stalled somewhat due to several crashes and setbacks.

Skjelmose wanted to keep pushing forward in 2026, but the team had suddenly signed Juan Ayuso, a major general classification contender. That caused a bit of a stir at first, but Skjelmose and Ayuso proved to work well together, with a sixth- and seventh-place finish in the Tour de France as the best example. Skjelmose also finished second in the Amstel Gold Race, but he was completely drained after a gruelling Vuelta.

Looking ahead to 2027, we can only expect even better things from Skjelmose, who has actually improved a bit every year. However, that doesn’t sit well with the arrival of more climbers on the Lidl-Trek team. In addition to Ayuso, the now-German team has signed Felix Gall for next year, the runner-up in both the 2026 Giro and Vuelta.

According to HLN, Skjelmose is not happy with all the developments at Lidl-Trek, which has signed more big names, including Filippo Ganna and Jordi Meeus. Key figures behind the team’s success in recent years have, in fact, been leaving. Following the departure of team manager Luca Guercilena, sports director Steven de Jongh stepped down after ten seasons, and Giulio Ciccone had his contract terminated and chose to leave.

Skjelmose also seems open to a new work environment. “It’s well known among the top riders that Mattias Skjelmose would like to leave Lidl-Trek. After signing Juan Ayuso and Derek Gee last year, Lidl-Trek has now also signed Felix Gall for stage races, and that doesn’t sit well with the 26-year-old Dane,” according to HLN. Uno-X Mobility and Netcompany INEOS are reportedly interested in signing him.

Unlike with Ciccone, however, Lidl-Trek no longer has a surplus of riders. There are currently exactly 30 on the roster, so any interested party will have to open its wallet.