Mattias Skjelmose, described by the national coach Michal Mørkøv as Denmark's best hope for the World Championships, has withdrawn from the event after suffering through the final days of the Vuelta a España.
Skjelmose, who finished sixth in the Tour de France and is a previous winner of hilly Classics such as Amstel Gold Race, was set to lead the line for Denmark in the Montréal Worlds road race on September 27 alongside Mads Pedersen.
However, having started the final week of the Vuelta in 7th place overall, the 25-year-old slipped to 13th by the end of the race, and informed Mørkøv of his decision to pull out of Worlds on Sunday, ahead of the Vuelta's final stage.
"I told Michael that I have to cancel because my body can't take it anymore," Skjelmose told the Danish broadcaster TV2.
"I love being part of the national team and have had some of the best experiences of my career there. But I also don't think it's fair to take a position from another Dane who is really doing well."
Skjelmose will be replaced in Denmark's line-up by Anton Charmig, who just before Skjelmose's decision had put in an eye-catching ride to third place at the Grand Prix de Québec.
"You answer quickly when you see that Michael Mørkøv is on the phone," the Uno-X rider told TV2. "It was a fantastic race on Friday. It was the best I've ever ridden, so my form is better than ever."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The loss of Skjelmose is a huge blow for Denmark, even if his declining form was already ominous. The Lidl-Trek rider has had a strong season and has proven in the past that he can win hilly one-day races, most notably in 2024 when he beat Tadej Pogačar to win Amstel Gold Race – one of the current world champion's very rare recent defeats.
Skjelmose had been billed as Denmark's leader alongside Mads Pedersen, who faces question marks over how he'll deal with the elevation gain on the Montréal course, as well as over his own form after he had to make an early exit from the Vuelta.
"It's a huge disappointment, because there's no doubt that in my eyes Mattias was our biggest chance for a world champion on that route in Montreal," Mørkøv told TV2.
"It's actually to be expected, at least from where I've seen Mattias the last few days. It hasn't looked very promising. [Anton] rode absolutely fantastically in Québec last Friday. So it's convenient and well-deserved that we can get such a strong replacement for Mattias."
Alongside Pedersen and Charmig, the other riders in Denmark's Worlds squad are: Michael Valgren, Mikkel Bjerg, Kasper Asgreen, Søren Kragh Andersen, Andreas Kron, and Mikkel Honoré.
Patrick is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish) and a decade’s experience in digital sports media, largely within the world of cycling. He re-joined Cyclingnews as Deputy Editor in February 2026, having previously spent eight years on staff between 2015 and 2023. In between, he was Deputy Editor at GCN and spent 18 months working across the sports portfolio at Future before returning to the cycling press pack. Patrick works across Cyclingnews’ wide-ranging output, assisting the Editor in global content strategy, with a particular focus on shaping CN's news operation.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
