Skjelmose saw defeat to Evenepoel coming and passionately explains his love for the Amstel

“I’m happy with this second place,” Skjelmose said afterwards in conversation with NOS. The Dane quickly sensed in the finale that Evenepoel simply had better legs than he did. “Remco was definitely the strongest. I was beaten fair and square. Remco almost dropped me on the climbs. I gave it everything and I’m happy with second place.”

Evenepoel forced Skjelmose to the front in the final kilometer and was also the first to launch the sprint. “I was already at my limit and hoped to make it a short sprint,” Skjelmose said, looking back on the final dash to the line. “But in the end, Remco was clearly better. I tried, but there was nothing I could do about it,” he accepted.

Skjelmose’s second place underlined that his victory a year earlier had been no fluke. The Dane clearly feels right at home in the rolling hills of Limburg. “As a kid, I loved watching the cobbled classics most of all. I’m not capable of winning one myself, but the Amstel is the race that comes closest to them, with all its obstacles, narrow roads and climbs,” Skjelmose said, explaining his passion for the hilly classic.

He then explained that the Amstel Gold Race pushes riders not only physically, but mentally as well. That combination makes it a brutally hard and challenging race for Skjelmose, but also one he clearly loves. “You are completely empty afterwards, but it is so cool to ride this race. You have to stay focused all day if you want to get a good result. That is what makes it so beautiful. It is one of my favorite races on the calendar, despite the fact that it is such a demanding race.”