Less than a week after he injured his back the morning of the UCI Road World Championships, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) must now end his season earlier than planned.
“I had been looking forward to the last part of the season with several big races, but a sudden and severe pain in my back the morning before the Worlds has put an end to my season,” Skjelmose stated on social media.
“After thorough examinations of my back and an MRI scan, I have been diagnosed with two herniated discs. For this reason, I am forced to end the season now.”
Skjelmose had to shelve his plans to race Il Lombardia next week, and will now focus on recovery.
“It is no secret that I am sad that my season has to end like this, but injuries are unfortunately a part of cycling. Now I will give my body some rest so that I can come back even stronger for next season.”
The Dane increased his professional victories tally to 11 this season, including his first national time trial title and a stage victory in Paris-Nice. The 24-year-old finished third in the Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de Suisse. In his debut at the Vuelta a España, Skjelmose finished fifth overall and claimed the best young rider classification.
A dark horse contender for the road race at the World Championships, Skjelmose hurt his back during breakfast in Zurich.
That day, the Danish national coach Anders Lund told TV2 “Skjelmose has made a movement here after breakfast, which has affected his back, and now he has received some treatment and is feeling a little better.
"Now I'm not a chiropractor, but it's about the muscles in the back after that movement. It's not dangerous and he can ride and sit on the bike, but it's bothering him a bit right now."
However, Skjelmose knew 60 kilometres into the 273.9km race that he could not fight for a top placing, and abandoned once he entered the circuits.
