Tour winner Skjelmose (22) self-critically looks back on his youth: ‘I was arrogant and mocked others’

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As a child he was chubby, as a teenager arrogant, as an adult he was convicted of doping. And now he is the winner of the Tour de Suisse: Mattias Skjelmose (22) – it is the greatest triumph of his career. Skjelmose creates something historic, never before has a Dane won the Swiss national tour. But who is this petite man of 1.80 m and 65 kilograms who bravely defended his leader’s jersey in the final time trial to Abtwil SG in 3rd place (+9 seconds)?

An impressive portrait comes from the wheel magazine Rouleur. In it, Skjelmose talks about his past. Growing up in Amagerbro, a working-class neighborhood in Copenhagen, he was introverted and a bit chubby as a child. “I never agreed to play with other children. I just didn’t feel the need to be around people.” Only now does he realize that he must have been a bit “weird”.

“In his eyes I was the fat boy”

Skjelmose was never very good at ball games. Not even on a bike – but he started playing the sport at the age of eleven. Two years later he got his first motorcycle license. But: in his first race he was already behind after two kilometers. However, that did not frustrate Skjelmose, on the contrary. He started doing what he did during the eight days of the Tour de Suisse: he worked like crazy.

It paid off. At the age of 15, Skjelmose won for the first time. His stepfather wouldn’t believe it. “In his eyes I was the fat boy, not a future professional cyclist.” The consequence? Skjelmose wanted to win again and again. “I won so many times that I became arrogant. No one could tell me otherwise, I mocked others.” He didn’t care about criticism, “because they couldn’t say I wasn’t the best.”

He wanted to win for girls

Four years ago, Skjelmose got stuck during a doping test. A shock. He traced the violation to contaminated food supplements, but was suspended for ten months. “I was angry, at everyone.” Nevertheless, he received a new contract in 2019. The death of a close friend and training partner challenged Skjelmose, but he also jumped that hurdle.

“I’ve grown up,” Skjelmose says today. In fact, after his great success in Switzerland, he comes across as anything but unapproachable. “This tour has been a roller coaster ride. First my success in Villars-sur-Ollon, then the death of Gino Mäder (✝26) and now the overall victory. Incredible.”

He didn’t know Mäder well, but many drivers told him he was a great person. “And at one point I felt I wanted to win for Gino too. I did that.”

Source : Blick