Mattia Skjelmose was one of a number of riders to abandon La Fleche Wallonne, suffering and shaking with signs of hypothermia after racing the cold and rain, as spring in the Belgian Ardennes turned into a day of survival.
Just 106 riders finished the women’s race after they started their 146 km race in the cold rain. Only 44 men finished their race after they were hit by rain and hailstone showers mid-race as the temperatures dropped to just 1°C and the heavens opened. At one point, even snowflakes fell from the dark skies. Even the local Belgian media described the weather conditions as Dantesque.
