Belief is key as Mattias Skjelmose confirms contract extension with Lidl-Trek

As first reported by GCN in January, Mattias Skjelmose has signed a contract extension with Lidl-Trek. The Danish rider will race for the American team until the end of 2026 having penned updated terms on an original deal that was was due to expire at the end of 2024.

Skjelmose had a breakthrough season in 2023, winning the Tour de Suisse and making his Tour de France debut. The 23-year-old is set to lead Lidl-Trek at this year’s Vuelta a España and is expected to play a prominent role at the Ardennes Classics later this spring.

Read more: Lidl-Trek Team Talk: Consistency was rewarded but is there more to come?

“It’s an extension that goes on until the end of 2026. Lidl-Trek believed in me from the beginning and I’ve made such a huge step in terms of my development here. I get all my own chances and with Lidl coming in it’s really helped with my Grand Tour dreams. I’ve always said if it’s ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Skjelmose told GCN on Sunday evening.

“Of course I had interest from other teams but with the circumstances, and having a one-year deal still left on my current deal, it made the interest from other squads less important.”

Lidl-Trek have stepped up their programme in the last 12 months due to heavy investment from the supermarket chain. They signed a raft of new riders to the men’s team last winter, including Jonathan Milan and Tao Geoghegan Hart. That influx of funds has seeped into the entire operation and Skjelmose believes that it will pay off for all riders on the team. He also believes that his personal development has only just begun with more in the tank as he builds into a potential Grand Tour contender.

“With Lidl coming in, the finances improved and that’s meant that the team can improve a lot more in good things in terms of performance. The thing that also helps development is being a leader at an early point because it allows you to make the mistakes early and then learn for the future,” the Dane said.

“For me it was the perfect way to start the season with this contract extension and securing my future. It gives me clear goals in my mind with having a big role in several races and I’m happy with that. I’m still only 23 and I believe that I’ve still got a lot of development going on for the future.”

Skjelmose made his season debut in France last weekend, picking up third in the Faun-Ardèche Classic, and fifth in Faun Drôme Classic.

“Of course I would have liked to have come up with a win but from the circumstances I had the best results possible and I’m happy with that. I’m happy with my longer climbing performances. I wanted more but that’s just the competitor in me. It’s been good to start racing though. I’ve been like a little kid at Christmas with these two races coming up,” he told GCN.

Next on the agenda is Paris-Nice, his first WorldTour test of the season with Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) likely to be the rider to beat.

“I’m going there for GC. I’ve been on a long altitude camp, the longest I’ve ever been on, with only Paris-Nice in mind. Even though I lack the short efforts, myself and Juan Ayuso were by far the strongest guys on the longest climbs. That’s something positive that I’ll take for next week.”