Matthias Skjelmors described his run in Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday as "one of the most unpleasant moments of my life." In cold and rainy conditions, he developed hypothermia on the second of four Mur de Huy climbs and was unable to continue in the race he finished runner-up in last year.

Dane told reporters today that he has recovered and has his sights set on fighting for the win this Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he finished ninth in 2023. This time he will have to face Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Deceuninck), two of the leading players who won the Monument this year.

"Unfortunately, I haven't really shown my stuff yet. I felt really good in Amstel, as well as on the first climb of Mulle de Huy in Flèche Wallonne.

"I'm sure I will fight for the podium in Liège on Sunday: 1, 2, 3......" I can see myself on the podium with Taddeji and Mathieu. But we'll see what order that will be on Sunday."

His Lidl-Trek team called the conditions at La Flèche Wallonne "brutal," with the peloton hit by rain and hail, with temperatures briefly dropping to 1°C and snow flurries.

"I don't know if I made a mistake or not, but the UAE went very early in the freshers yesterday. That prevented me from putting on my rain jacket. But luckily, Toms Sukjiņš was already on his way to me.

"I was shivering on the bike, unaware that I was suffering from hypothermia. It was one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever done."

Skjelmose and four other teammates retired from the race. A total of 131 riders in the peloton recorded retirements during the midweek race in the Belgian Ardennes. Of the 44 finishers, Skřihoš was 12th.

Lidl Trek then ensured that Skujjosz and the other riders were taken to the team bus, where they had warm showers and hot drinks and were feeling better. On Thursday, he and his teammates rode the last 95 km of the Liège route for a reconnaissance run, and he said that he had some muscle soreness, but after three hours he felt much better.

Skjelmors, who is just 23 years old, was captured on video by spectators along the roadside during the ordeal shivering uncontrollably as team staff lifted him off his bike and carried him to the podium area at the finish and to the warmth of the team bus. In light of the controversy surrounding the footage of the horrific crash at the recent Tour of the Basque Country that killed Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease-a-Bike), Primoš Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe), and teammate Nathanael Tesfacion, he asked if these images were appropriate to show before a full diagnosis He was asked if it would be appropriate to show these images before a full diagnosis.

"Given the current situation, I think it is good to have those videos. I don't think a lot of fans understand why so many racers left the race. Of course, not everyone was in the same condition as me, but it gives the fans a better idea of what the weather conditions were like."

"If I had been sent to the hospital in a very bad condition, I would have thought differently. For example, at the Tour of the Basque Country, the situation was completely different. But now I understand the situation better. It was fine for my loved ones. Of course, the images were quite extreme, but they knew right away that I was okay. "

Already this season, he has a podium finish at the Von Ardèche Classic, a stage win and third place at Paris-Nice, and third overall at Ituria-Basque. Despite finishing 17th in the Amstel Gold Race and failing to finish in Liège, the Dane confirmed he has the form and focus for Sunday.

"What I took away from these two classic races is that I am in the best shape of my life.